Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
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“The American healthcare system just isn’t really set up for ordinary individuals to fix these kinds of things when they go wrong. Whether it is the insurance company trying to save a penny or it’s an incorrect code, patients often end up getting caught in the middle, and really fearing for their health or their financial security.” —Miranda Yaver
Health Coverage Denied? Appeal. You Might Win!
Featuring Miranda Yaver, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, University of Pittsburgh
Code WACK! | Podcast Episode 342 | August 10, 2026
“Medi-Cal cuts will strain hospitals already operating at a loss. The fallout: fewer services and higher costs for the privately insured too.”
Medicaid Cuts Stand to Hit Everyone (Yes, Even You). Here’s Why
CalMatters | Kristen Hwang | August 7, 2026
“Steep premium hikes will worsen the financial strain on small businesses, which could be forced to turn to cheaper plans with worse consumer protections — or stop offering coverage altogether….”
Insurers Want to Hike Small Businesses’ Premiums by 14% Next Year: KFF
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer Parduhn | August 7, 2026
“‘I have not seen any evidence that indicates fraud as a driver of these spending trends…’ said Laurel Lucia, UC Berkeley Labor Center…. ‘IHSS [In-Home Support Services} spending has grown rapidly in recent years due to the increased need for home care among seniors and individuals with disabilities, and increased home care worker wages.’”
Oz’s Medicaid Fraud Claims About California and Minnesota Lack Context
FactCheck | Paul Cuno-Booth | August 6, 2026
“Profits in CVS Health’s insurance division Aetna soared in the second quarter, driving the Rhode Island-based healthcare giant’s net income to almost $3 billion — roughly triple the $1 billion CVS posted the same time last year.”
CVS Triples Net Income Thanks to Booming Health Plan Profitability
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer Parduhn | August 5, 2026
“Medicare provides health insurance coverage for 70 million people, 20% of the U.S. population… [and] pays more to private Medicare Advantage plans for enrollees than their costs would be in traditional Medicare due to factors such as higher coding intensity and favorable selection…. In 2026, payments to Medicare Advantage plans are estimated to be 114% of what traditional Medicare would have spent on the same beneficiary, on average.”
The Facts About Medicare Spending
Kaiser Family Foundation | August 4, 2026
“California’s uninsured rate could nearly double by 2030, with the sharpest losses hitting Black, Asian, and Latino residents in Southern California. A new documentary reveals the human toll behind the numbers, including families navigating Medi-Cal amid immigration raids and looming benefit cuts.”
California Nearly Achieved Universal Healthcare. Now, Millions Are Losing Coverage
CalMatters | Kristen Hwang | August 4, 2026
“The growing number of uninsured patients is starting to ding hospital companies’ finances, as they’re forced to absorb uncompensated care costs and more patients avoid elective surgeries, an important linchpin for hospitals’ revenue.”
Hospitals Feel the Pinch as More Patients Lose Insurance
Healthcare Dive | Sydney Halleman | August 4, 2026
“Healthcare access should never be weaponized to advance discrimination — and the denial of coverage for critical healthcare based simply on who you are blatantly violates the rights of all of us….”
Trump Administration Sued for Banning Gender Transition Treatments in Federal Health Plans
The Hill | Zach Schonfeld | August 3, 2026
“But health policy experts say that the administration is overstating the extent of ACA fraud and that the HHS report relies on debatable assumptions, such as that all sign-ups under the year-round enrollment program for low-income people were potentially fraudulent.”
RFK Jr., Oz Claim Fraud Crackdown Drove ACA Enrollment Drop, But Analysts Cite Rising Costs
CBS News | Julie Appleby | August 3, 2026
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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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