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“Our healthcare system, I would say, has not been in good shape for a long time and does not serve many people well, disabled people being one of many groups who are experiencing so many health disparities every day. Medicaid was the glue holding what’s left of it together and we are tearing it apart now.”
—Sabrina Epstein
Why Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
is a Disaster for
People With Disabilities
Featuring
Sabrina Epstein &
Andy Imparato,
Disability Rights California
Find us on Apple podcasts, our website or your favorite podcast platform.
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Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
“Exactly two months after President Donald Trump signed his policy megabill in a July 4 celebration at the White House, a Virginia health care company blamed the law for the closure of three rural clinics serving communities along the Blue Ridge Mountains.”
Rural Health Clinics Are Closing After Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ Raising the Legislation’s Political Risks
CNN | David Wright & Eva McEnd | September 22, 2025
“The No UPCODE Act (No Unreasonable Payments, Coding or Diagnoses for the Elderly Act) … would improve how Medicare Advantage plans evaluate patients’ health risks, reduce overpayments for care and save taxpayers money by removing incentives to overcharge Medicare.”
Will GOP Act on $124B in Medicare Insurance Fraud?
Insurance News Net | Chris Dickerson | September 19, 2025
“Regulators are requiring [Medicare Advantage] plans to directly disclose their provider directories on Medicare Plan Finder for 2027 open enrollment, in a bid to help seniors make more informed decisions about which plan best meets their needs.”
Medicare Advantage Plans to Share Provider Directories Under CMS Final Rule
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer | September 19, 2025
“Inyo County … has two hospitals. In a matter of weeks it may be down to one … Southern Inyo Healthcare District, a 37-bed hospital in Lone Pine, had eight days of cash on hand as of Sept.12….”
With Just Days of Cash Left, Remote California Hospital Nears Crisis Point
CalMatters | Kristen Hwang | September 19, 2025
“The Patients Over Profits Act prevents large insurance companies and their subsidiaries, such as UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiary Optum, from buying up clinics.”
Merkley, Warren, Hoyle, Ryan, Jayapal Introduce New Bill to Crack Down on Health Insurers Buying up Clinics Across the U.S.
Public Citizen | September 18, 2025
“Senate Democrats … unveiled an ambitious proposal to fund the government past Sept. 30 that would restore the nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid made by President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act [and] permanently extend the enhanced health insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that are due to expire at the end of the year.”
Democrats Want Government Funding Stopgap to Reverse Nearly $1 Trillion in Medicaid Cuts
The Hill | Alexander Bolton | September 18, 2025
“More than 40 years later, California’s initiatives of the 1980s to combat HIV/AIDS offer useful lessons … about how states can counter dangerous federal policies and take the lead in protecting public health.”
States Can Protect Public Health When the Feds Do Nothing
The American Prospect | Suzanne Gordon | September 18, 2025
“Trump administration officials … want more people to consider plans with less generous benefits and high deductibles.”
With ACA Costs on the Rise, Trump Team Promotes More Limited Catastrophic Health Insurance Plans
CBS News | Julie Appleby | September 17, 2025
“Doctors in a select group of states will be required to secure artificial intelligence-powered prior authorization for some services in traditional Medicare. Prior authorization has drawn scrutiny from the federal government for delaying or preventing necessary medical care and jeopardizing health outcomes….”
Medicare Prior Authorization Pilot Raises Concerns Among Providers
Healthcare Dive | Michael Brady | September 16, 2025
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Shining a light on ongoing inequities in health care
and the impact they have on vulnerable individuals and communities.
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