Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
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“I think that we are in a crisis that is offering us a window of opportunity that comes up every few decades. And so we must seize this moment right now, and we must put forth a solution worthy of the crisis at hand.”
We’ve Accepted This Healthcare System as Normal. Should We?
Featuring Ana Malinow, MD, National Single Payer steering committee member
Code WACK! | Podcast Episode 337 | July 6, 2026
“Hospital prices have grown faster than virtually any other sector in the economy and are the biggest driver of insurance premiums. And, over the last 25 years, health insurance premiums have grown at nearly triple the pace of U.S. worker earnings.”
Higher Hospital Prices Mean Smaller Paychecks and Inflated Premiums
Insurance News Net | Jennifer Schultz, The Paris Post-Intelligencer | July 3, 2026
“…companies will be billed for each employee and employees’ dependent receiving Medicaid, the joint state-federal insurance program. The fees per person would start at $325 a year for companies with 50 to 249 Medicaid beneficiaries and top out at $725 annually for employers with at least 500 recipients.”
New Jersey is Set to Charge Companies with Workers on Medicaid. Other States May Follow
Associated Press | Geoff Mulvihill | July 2, 2026
“…health insurance obstacles can upend patients’ health and economic lives. [The Employee Retirement Income Security Act] ERISA magnifies those barriers by limiting patients’ legal ability to hold health insurers accountable – instead giving them a free pass to keep denying coverage without facing real consequences.”
How Health Insurers Get a Free Pass to Deny Coverage from a 52‑Year‑Old Law Meant to Protect Worker Pensions
The Conversation | Miranda Yaver | July 2, 2026
“…the program’s spending continues to tick up despite a slumping percentage of enrollees in plans eligible for bonuses.”
Medicare Advantage Bonuses Will Exceed $13B This Year, KFF Finds
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer Parduhn | July 2, 2026
“Many Americans are struggling to afford healthcare. A recent survey found that 46% of adults, regardless of their health care insurance status, reported struggling to pay for medical care last year.”
More States Try to Give Patients Relief from Medical Debt
Stateline | Nada Hassanein | July 1, 2026
“Twenty-six states have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration … arguing several provisions … are unlawful and risk harming enrollees in the safety-net insurance program.”
States Sue Trump Administration Over Medicaid Work Requirements Rule
Healthcare Dive | Sydney Halleman | June 30, 2026
“More people die during and after childbirth in the United States than in any other high-income country — but that is not the whole picture. … Cases of [Severe Maternal Morbidity] are unevenly distributed, with women over age 35, non-Hispanic Black mothers, those relying on public insurance, and those in the lowest income quartile at greatest risk. Effectively tackling the problem of SMM necessitates addressing these disparities.”
Beyond Maternal Mortality: How Severe Morbidity Reveals Policy Gaps in Maternal Care
Commonwealth Fund | Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin | June 30, 2026
“…vaccination programs in the U.S. are facing unprecedented challenges, including public scrutiny of vaccine safety, proposed cuts to federal vaccine programs, and declining childhood vaccination rates….”
Sustaining the Gains in Childhood Vaccination in the U.S.
Johns Hopkins University | Bloomberg School of Public Health | June 29, 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.
Our Weekly News Roundup shares news and views about health policy, health equity and healthcare reform (from non-paywalled news sources)
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Our Resources page provides a wealth of additional resources including links to legislation and studies.
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