Weekly News Roundup for Sep 25, 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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“This isn’t the first rollout of the shots, but it is the first time the commercial market is in charge. Previously, the federal government bought and distributed the shots for free.”

‘Thousands’ Denied Coverage Amid Bumpy Booster Rollout For Updated COVID Vaccines

ABC News | Victoria Sanchez | September 25, 2023



“While dental care often is seen as routine, the poor often go without any care for years or even decades. Doing so has significant costs, both to taxpayers and to those who cannot afford treatment.”

Many States Are Expanding Their Medicaid Programs to Provide Dental Care to Their Poorest Residents

Associated Press | Michael Casey | September 23, 2023



“For states in violation, federal officials required them to retroactively restore Medicaid coverage to those affected and to halt procedural terminations until their systems are fixed.”

Medicaid Coverage Restored to About a Half-Million People After Computer Errors in Many States

Associated Press | David A. Lieb | September 21, 2023



“Knowing what service is covered by which program and when can easily devolve into a Kafkaesque nightmare.”

The 12 Million People Lost in a Maze of Medicare and Medicaid

Tradeoffs | Leslie Walker, Dan Gorenstein | September 21, 2023



“Under the new system, family members and first responders can ask county judges to order people with psychotic illness into treatment, even if they are not unhoused or haven’t committed a crime.”

At New Mental Health Courts in California, Judges Will Be Able to Mandate Treatment

KQED | April Dembosky | September 20, 2023



“For the enrollment period starting Oct. 15, insurers will be barred from using the Medicare name or logo in a misleading way….”

Medicare Advantage Ads Will Look Different This Fall

Axios | Maya Goldman | September 20, 2023



“In a nutshell: it appears that the closer a health care institution cleaves to corporate values, the worse off patients and health workers are.”

Why is Kaiser Permanente Engaging in Corporate Kabuki?

Nation of Change | Sonali Kolhatkar | September 19, 2023



“Employers girding themselves for an especially pricey health care benefits season this fall are pushing back harder in negotiations, armed with new price transparency data and emboldened by increased industry scrutiny.”

Facing Higher Health Costs, Employers Get Tough

Axios | Tina Reed | September 19, 2023



“The truth is, the biggest pharmaceutical companies aren’t really drug development companies at all: they’re marketing, lobbying, and litigation firms with patent portfolios.”

No, Sky-High Drug Prices Aren’t Funding Crucial New Medical Research

Jacobin | Brian Callaci | September 18, 2023



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