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Simplicity, Savings & Equity?
The Single-Payer Solution
Featuring James G. Kahn, MD, MPH
Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
Snippets of news & commentary with a special focus on
health policy, Medicare for All & California
Like Weekly News Roundup? Then you’ll love our popular podcast Code WACK! where we shine a light on the outrageous hassles patients face when dealing with America’s callous healthcare system. Subscribe below!
“…rurality alone doesn’t explain the gap in life expectancy. For example, white people in rural Montana live 17 years longer, on average, than Native Americans….”
Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, And It’s Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
CBS News | Arielle Zionts | April 15, 2024
“About one in five enrollees say they were disenrolled from Medicaid coverage at some point in 2023 and about a quarter (23%) of those who were disenrolled remain uninsured.”
KFF Survey of Medicaid Unwinding
Kaiser Family Foundation | Lunna Lopes, Grace Sparks, Marley Presiado, Jennifer Tolbert, Robin Rudowitz, Amaya Diana, Ashley Kirzinger | April 12, 2024
“Medicaid was the compromise that ultimately allowed Medicare to pass. There is no question that Medicare, as initially planned, would have been far superior.”
The Case for State-Based Single-Payer Healthcare
Common Dreams | Cris M. Currie, Charlie Swanson, Julie Keller Pease, Mike Huntington | April 12, 2024
“The rise in health care costs has put pressure on employers to make tradeoffs between providing benefits to active workers versus retirees….”
Retiree Health Benefits: Going, Going, Nearly Gone?
KFF | Tricia Neuman & Anthony Damico | April 12, 2024
“’Most of the drugs in short supply are generic, older products, and about half are injectable drugs that are hard to make –’ [said] Erin Fox … University of Utah Health. ‘Because the FDA says all generics are equal, the only way to compete is on price,’ creating a race to the bottom that results in companies either halting production of the drugs or taking cost-saving shortcuts in quality….”
Hundreds of Drugs are in Short Supply Around the U.S., Pharmacists Warn
CBS News | Kate Gibson, Alain Sherter | April 12, 2024
“The congressional attention comes amid increased concern over health care consolidation that prompted the Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department and HHS last month to open an inquiry into private equity and corporate ownership in the medical marketplace.”
Private Equity in Health Care Becomes a Bigger Washington Target
Axios | Peter Sullivan | April 10, 2024
“Payments to Medicare Advantage insurers are both higher and growing faster than spending in traditional Medicare…. Despite the higher payments, researchers have found few differences between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare in beneficiary experience, affordability, service utilization, and quality.”
Gaps in Medicare Advantage Data Remain Despite CMS Actions to Increase Transparency
Kaiser Family Foundation | Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Meredith Freed, Tricia Neuman | April 10, 2024
“The increased mortality rates are an indicator of worsening population health, the study authors noted, which can harm local economies and employment.”
City-Country Mortality Gap Widens Amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
CBS News | Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez | April 8, 2024
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Shining a light on ongoing inequities in health care
and the impact they have on vulnerable individuals and communities.
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