Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
Snippets of news & commentary with a special focus on
health policy, Medicare for All & California
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“More than 928,000 people had their Medi-Cal terminated between June and October, according to state data. The vast majority of them — close to 90% — lost Medi-Cal coverage because of so-called ‘procedural reasons,’ often meaning problems with paperwork.”
‘They Told Me I Have No Coverage’: Californians Surprised by Loss of Medi-Cal Insurance
CalMatters | Ana B. Ibarra | December 18, 2023
“…his last job as a surgeon ended in December 2012, months before he settled the last of those five [malpractice] cases. But there was one industry ready to welcome him regardless: health insurance … where suddenly he had the power to impact the lives of far more patients than he would ever have seen in the operating room.”
Doctors With Histories of Big Malpractice Settlements Work for Insurers, Deciding If They’ll Pay for Care
ProPublica | Patrick Rucker, David Armstrong, Doris Burke | December 15, 2023
“…in 2020, about 20 million Americans ages 55 and up needed assistance with daily tasks … from preparing meals to using the toilet. But almost 40% of those people — more than 8 million Americans — receive no help at all.”
America Is Aging Into a Crisis That We Knew Was Coming
MSNBC News | Helaine Olen | December 15, 2023
“A dozen pharmaceutical companies will be required to pay rebates to Medicare for ‘outrageous price hikes’ on prescription drugs that over 750,000 seniors take per year….”
Biden Administration Flags Dozens of Pharma Companies to Pay Medicare Rebates for ‘Outrageous’ Price Hikes
Fierce Healthcare | Noah Tong | December 14, 2023
“Humana knows that the nH Predict AI Model predictions are highly inaccurate and are not based on patients’ medical needs but continues to use this system to deny patients’ coverage….”
Lawsuit Claims Humana Uses AI to Deny Necessary Health Care Services to Medicare Advantage Patients
Louisville Public Media | Morgan Watkins | December 14, 2023
“Roughly two-thirds of Americans with a diagnosed mental health condition were unable to access treatment in 2021, though they had health insurance.”
Most Americans with Mental Health Needs Don’t Get Treatment, Report Finds
NPR | Rhitu Chatterjee | December 13, 2023
“Across the country, an increasing number of physicians are reporting the prior authorizations that come with profit-driven Medicare Advantage plans have, indeed, become a ‘nightmare’ for both themselves and the patients they are attempting to treat.”
Medicare Advantage Plans: The Hidden Dangers and Threats to Patient Care
DC Report | Joe Maniscalco | December 11, 2023
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