Appeals court to review ruling wiping out some cost-free preventative services; a new legislation aims to boost reimbursement rates for medical providers; changes to coverage may limit elderly home care access
Appeals Court Reviews Ruling Out Cost-Free Preventive Services
The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the case over a provision that requires insurers cover preventive care services at no costs to patients, under an Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandate, according to CNN. The court is set to review a Texas judge’s ruling that wiped away that requirement, which is currently paused until under the verdict of the appeals court. The decision is likely to have far-reaching implications for both health care policy and the ongoing debate over the future of the ACA.
Doctors Applaud Proposed Medicare Pay Increase
Starting March 9, 2024, doctors will receive a 1.68% pay increase from Medicaid under a new deal struck over the weekend by Congress, according to Stat. The proposed legislation seeks to address longstanding concerns about low payment rates and reforms for the practice of using pharmacy benefit managers. If passed, the bill could improve access to care for Medicare beneficiaries and help alleviate financial strains on medical practices nationwide.
MA Plans Set to Impose Limits on Home Health Services
Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are poised to restrict access to home health services, sparking worries among elderly populations, according to Axios. A recent study in JAMA Health Forum found that patients with MA plans had less home health care and worse outcomes than those on Medicare. Advocates fear that such changes may exacerbate health disparities for those who are likelier to live alone with less care and often don’t need care until they are in dire medical situations.
Perioperative Nivolumab Boosts NSCLC Survival: CheckMate 77T Trial
May 16th 2024This interim analysis of the CheckMate 77T trial, outcomes were compared between adult patients receiving neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy or neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus placebo for resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
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Covering antiobesity medications like semaglutide could save Medicare around $500 million annually; preliminary CDC data showed a 3% decline in the number of US overdose deaths last year; the Biden administration recently announced the first national maternal mental health strategy.
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Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
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Congress Urged to Repeal Comstock Act Threatening Reproductive Rights and Public Health
May 16th 2024In a joint letter addressed to Congress, Healthcare Across Borders, Take Back the Court Action Fund, and UltraViolet Action called out the resurgence of the Comstock Act, urging immediate action to repeal this century-old law that threatens reproductive rights and public health in the US.
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Atypical Marker Expression in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma
May 15th 2024Two unique case reports highlight the diagnostic challenges and critical importance of comprehensive immunophenotyping in cases of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma that present without typical immaturity markers but with rare γδ T-cell receptor expression.
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