Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
Snippets of news & commentary with a special focus on
health policy, Medicare for All & California
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“These highly profitable facilities often charge $5,000 a month or more and then layer on fees at every step.”
Extra Fees Drive Assisted Living Profits
California Healthline | Jordan Rau | November 20, 2023
“Medicare Advantage as it exists today is a threat to patient care, to health equity, and indeed to the integrity of our public health infrastructure.”
Medicare Advantage Is Giving Away Billions to Corporate Insurers. It’s Time We Put a Stop to It.
The Hill | Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Dr. Diljeet Singh | November 17, 2023
“…Black women who perceived experiences of racism had a 38% [higher] chance of having a stroke compared to those who didn’t.”
New Study Reveals Racism May Increase the Risk of Stroke in Black Women
NBC News | Claretta Bellamy | November 17, 2023
“…states have enacted hundreds of laws dictating precisely what insurers must cover so that consumers aren’t driven into debt or forced to go without medicines or procedures. But health plans have violated these mandates at least dozens of times in the last five years….”
Health Insurers Have Been Breaking State Laws for Years
ProPublica | Maya Miller, Robin Fields | November 16, 2023
“Medicaid officials across the U.S. are watching to see if California can prove the theory that providing more social service support will translate into fewer expensive hospital visits, trips to the ER and nursing home stays.”
Should Medicaid Pay to Help Someone Find a Home? California Is Trying It
NPR | Ryan Levi, Dan Gorenstein | November 15, 2023
“Twenty seven of the maternity ward and hospital closures have taken place in the last three years.”
As Hospitals Close Labor Wards, Large Stretches of California Are Without Maternity Care
CalMatters | Kristen Hwang, Ana B. Ibarra, Erica Yee | November 15, 2023
“California has a waiver program that allows [medically fragile] children to access Medi-Cal. The problem is, it’s full.”
Analysis: California Is Rationing Care for People With Disabilities. It’s Indefensible, But Here’s a Solution
Jennifer McLelland | California Health Report | November 14, 2023
“The overwhelming majority of adults say that it would be impossible or very difficult to pay the estimated $100,000 needed for one year at a nursing home (90%) or the estimated $60,000 for one year of assistance from a paid nurse or aide (83%).”
The Affordability of Long-Term Care and Support Services: Findings from a KFF Survey
KFF | Liz Hamel, Alex Montero | November 14, 2023
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