Weekly News Roundup for Aug 19, 2024

 

Zoom Public Meeting

UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Unified Healthcare Financing (SB 770): Initial Research & Key Design Issues

 

Friday, August 30th, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Registration required:  SB 770 Public Input Meeting
Sponsored by California Health and Human Services Agency

 

 

New Code WACK! episode

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Michael Lighty

 

Your Needs vs the
‘Financial Incentives of
Your Insurance Plan?’

 
Featuring Michael Lighty

 

 

 

Breaking News in Healthcare Reform

 

Snippets of news & commentary with a special focus on
health policy, Medicare for All & California

 

 

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“California lawmakers are poised to vote for the first time on regulating private equity investments in health care, but the proposal they will weigh in on carves out exemptions for some of the industry’s biggest players.”

Will California Regulate Hedge Funds in Health Care? Lawmakers Will Decide Soon

CalMatters | Kristen Hwang | August 19, 2024



“…Harris vowed that under her administration, Medicare negotiations would continue and grow to encompass all Americans, not only Medicare beneficiaries.”

Harris Vows Biden-Era Health Care Programs Will Get Bigger If She’s Elected

The Hill | Joseph Choi | August 16, 2024



“…despite higher healthcare spending, America’s health outcomes are not any better than those in other developed countries. The United States actually performs worse in some common health metrics like life expectancy, infant mortality, unmanaged diabetes, and safety during childbirth.”

How Does the U.S. Healthcare System Compare to Other Countries?

Peter G. Peterson Foundation | August 15, 2024



“The average cost of employer-sponsored health care coverage in the U.S. is expected to increase 9%, surpassing $16,000 per employee in 2025….”

Employer Health Care Costs Projected to Increase 9% Next Year

Insurance News Net | PR Newswire | August 15, 2024



“These drugs treat common ailments like blood clots, diabetes and rarer conditions like blood cancers. Some are relatively cheap and used by millions of older Americans, while others are relatively expensive and used by tens of thousands.”

In a First, Medicare Has Set Prices for 10 Drugs, Saving Billions

Politico | Robert King, David Lim, Lauren Gardner | August 15, 2024



“…privately run Medicare Advantage and safety-net Medicaid plans are seeing their profitability shrink amid ongoing operational pressures creating a sharp reversal in expected fortunes — much to health insurance executives’ chagrin.”

Medicaid Overtakes Medicare Advantage as Health Insurers’ Bogeyman in Q2

Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer | August 15, 2024



“Recently released federal data once again show the United States with by far the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income nation…. Racial disparities are also extreme: Black women in the U.S. are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women are.”

Health Care for Women: How the U.S. Compares Internationally

The Commonwealth Fund | M Gunja, R Masitha, L Zephyrin | August 15, 2024



“…uninsured patients had greater odds of withdrawal of life-supporting treatment and mortality and publicly insured patients had longer stay and greater odds of hospital complications when compared with privately insured patients.”

Insurance-Related Disparities in Withdrawal of Life Support and Mortality After Spinal Cord Injury

JAMA Surgery | Husain Shakil, MD, et al | August 14, 2024



“Although Republicans were not able to repeal Obamacare, they were successful in another way: years of attacks left little room to expand coverage or rein in healthcare prices, essentially the unfinished work of Obamacare.”

Tim Walz Pick Excites Hopes of Taking US Healthcare Beyond Obamacare Era

The Guardian | Jessica Glenza | August 12, 2024


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