Weekly News Roundup for Jan 9, 2023

Breaking News in Healthcare Reform

Snippets of news & commentary with a special focus on

health policy, Medicare for All & California

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“…when you get this third-party payer system where the patient doesn’t have to pay all of the cost of it directly, the insurer pays a chunk of it…. That gives you relentless upward pressure on pricing, because if you’re going to get paid, why not get paid some more?”

How Health Insurance May Have Made Health Care More Expensive

CNBC | Charlotte Morabito | January 8, 2023

“For our former unions and the City of NY to strip benefits away from us, automatically enroll us in a private Medicare plan, violate the contracts that were in place when we left, is a disgrace,” reads a statement on the organization’s website.

Lawsuits, Protests, Lobbying: Uproar as Retirees Fight NYC Unions Over Medicare

Insurance News Net | The 74 | January 6, 2023

“MMPs [Medicare-Medi-Cal Plans] will coordinate all benefits and services across both programs, such as all Medicare-covered services…, all Medi-Cal covered services…, and medical transportation, among others.”

California’s Cal MediConnect Transitions to Medicare Medi-Cal Plans

State of Reform | Hannah Saunders | January 6, 2023

“Orthopedic surgeons… are rapidly catching up with other specialist physicians, such as dermatologists and ophthalmologists, in selling control of their practices to private equity investment firms. They hope to grab a bigger chunk of the surging market in outpatient surgery and maintain their position as one of the highest-paid specialties in medicine — $633,620 was the average compensation for orthopedists in 2021.”

More Orthopedic Physicians Sell Out to Private Equity Firms, Raising Alarms About Costs and Quality

Kaiser Health News | Harris Meyer | January 6, 2023

“The approvals could fuel already-contentious debates around affordability and equity, giving ammunition both to those who say innovation doesn’t come cheap and others who contend medical advances are meaningless if patients can’t access them.”

A Banner Year for Prescription Drugs Brings Cost Concerns

Axios | Caitlin Owens | January 6, 2023

“…medical credit cards often come with high interest rates following so-called ‘no interest’ periods that banks deceptively use to lure in customers who are desperate to pay for costly medical treatments.”

Sanders, Warren, and Others Raise Alarm Over Rise of Medical Credit Cards

Truthout | Jake Johnson | January 5, 2023

“‘Gaps in CMS’s oversight processes prevented the program and its enrollees from realizing millions in savings,’ the [Office of the Inspector General] said.”

Medicare Lost Millions in Savings Due to Spotty Oversight: Federal Watchdog

The Hill | Joseph Choi | January 3, 2023

“As of October, at least 66 clinics in 15 states have stopped offering abortion services, according to the Guttmacher Institute….”

Demand Has Tripled, Quadrupled at California Abortion Clinics Since Roe Fell

The Press Democrat | Marisa Kendall | January 3, 2023

“Sanders’ well-chronicled antagonism toward lobbyists has some concerned they’ll be unable to blunt criticism of their clients’ profits or corporate executive salaries.”