Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
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“For many Americans getting the right medical care isn’t just about what their doctors recommend, it’s also about what their insurance company is willing to cover. So what happens when those two don’t agree? And why can it be so difficult for patients to fight back?” —Lisa Kantor
When Your Health Insurance Says ‘No’ to Your Doctor’s Orders
Featuring Lisa Kantor, Founding Partner of Kantor & Kantor, LLP
Code WACK! | Podcast Episode 339 | July 20, 2026
“…state-based marketplaces (SBMs) generally experienced less severe coverage losses than states using the federally facilitated marketplace, HealthCare.gov. Several SBMs have acted to reduce premiums and mitigate the harm caused by the loss of federal subsidies.”
ACA Marketplace Enrollment Shrank in Nearly Every State After Premium Tax Credit Enhancements Expired
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | July 20, 2026
“Employees who have left the [Employee Benefits Security Administration] fear that drastic staff cuts are leaving workers less protected and that the agency’s new head, Daniel Aronowitz, is setting policy to serve the interests of an industry he once represented.”
Trump Cuts Quietly Gutted a Health Plan and Retirement Watchdog
Capital & Main | Kalena Thomhave | July 17, 2026
“Senate Democrats’ bid to end a pilot program that adds artificial intelligence-backed prior authorization for some services in Medicare failed on Thursday.”
Senate Republicans Kill Bid to End Medicare Prior Authorization Pilot
Healthcare Dive | Emily Olsen | July 17, 2026
“In February 2025, FDA Deputy Commissioner Jim Jones angrily resigned from the agency’s Human Foods Program, which monitors food safety, after dozens of his workers were sacked. And in July that year, Kennedy directed the CDC to cut six out of eight pathogens, cyclospora among them, monitored as part of its FoodNet program.”
How Donald Trump Created the Worst Diarrhea Outbreak This Century
The American Prospect | Ryan Cooper | July 16, 2026
“Physicians billing Medicare would see a pay dip next year as part of a sweeping reimbursement rule that also aims to increase provider participation in accountable care organizations and overhaul quality reporting.”
Doctor Pay to Drop in 2027 Under Proposed Medicare Pay Rule
Healthcare Dive | Emily Olsen | July 15, 2026
“We’re seeing this desperate financial situation [i.e. Trump funding cuts] being a huge boon to private equity companies to come in and take over….”
Trump Funding Cuts Endangering City and Rural Hospitals Alike
The American Prospect | Whitney Curry Wimbish | July 15, 2026
“If these increases hold, typical premiums for insurers participating in the ACA Marketplaces would jump by more than one-third between 2025 and 2027, KFF researchers said.”
ACA Marketplace Insurers Propose 14% Premium Hike for 2027
John & Rusty Report | Michael Popke | July 14, 2026
“Medicare was a momentous act because it provided new health insurance for people ages 65 and older and the disabled regardless of income or medical history. In the years since, Medicare has become living proof that public, universal health insurance is superior to private insurance in every way.”
Medicare Turns 61: The Case for Expanding It to All Americans
Informed Comment | F. Douglas Stephenson | July 14, 2026
“Even brief gaps [in coverage] can do lasting damage.”
2.6 Million Americans Lost Health Insurance in 2025 After ACA Subsidies Expired, Leading to Real Health Consequences
The Conversation | Aparna Soni | July 13, 2026
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Shining a light on ongoing inequities in health care
and the impact they have on vulnerable individuals and communities.
Our podcast Code WACK! brings to life the failures of America’s healthcare system with stories, commentary and analysis.
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