Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
Snippets of news & commentary with a special focus on
health policy, Medicare for All & California
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“The announcement kicks off a controversial process under the Inflation Reduction Act that aims to make costly medications more affordable for older Americans.”
Biden Administration Unveils First 10 Drugs Subject to Medicare Price Negotiations
CNBC | Annika Kim Constantino | August 29, 2023
“It’s not as straightforward as you might think to identify the highest spending drugs….”
How the First 10 Drugs Set for Medicare Negotiations Were Chosen
Politico | Robert King, David Lim | August 29, 2023
“As many as 6.7 million children are at risk of having their benefits terminated….”
An ‘Obscene’ Number of Kids are Losing Medicaid Coverage
CNN | Tami Luhby | August 26, 2023
“…employers that have committed to provide health benefits for retirees [may] force those seniors, without their consent, into private, for-profit Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that impose conditions on the promised benefits.”
Whipping Egg-Whips: Retirees Are Winning Battles Against Medicare Advantage
Common Dreams | Kay Tillow | August 25, 2023
“The insurer also plans to nix another 500 codes for its Medicare Advantage plans before the end of this year.”
Cigna Removes Prior Authorizations for 25% of Services
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer | August 24, 2023
“It is a gross injustice that 30 million Americans lack health insurance — but the insured also face serious problems, paying through the nose for substandard care.”
US Health Care Sucks, Even If You Have Health Insurance
Jacobin | Amy Finkelstein | August 24, 2023
“…people living on the streets with serious mental illness are the hardest to help get housing and treatment for, even if they want it.”
Could Providing Mental Health Services to Unhoused Angelenos on the Street Lead to Long-Term Treatment?
LAist | Robert Garrova | August 22, 2023
“Middle-class Americans are the most likely to be saddled with medical debt, with nearly 1 in 4 — or roughly 17 million people — having unpaid medical bills….”
Medical Debt is Squeezing Millions of Middle-Class Americans, Report Says
Axios | Tina Reed | August 21, 2023
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