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What We're Reading: ACA "Death Spiral"; Privacy Rule Delayed; and CMS Projects Spending
Aetna Says ACA Is in “Death Spiral”
Amidst news of insurers pulling out from the 2018 exchanges, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) did not receive a vote of confidence from Aetna. Chief executive Mark Bertolini said the ACA’s exchanges are in a “death spiral” and predicted that many more plans would withdraw this year due to the “deteriorating” risk pool, according to a Washington Post article. Aetna sells exchange plans in only 4 states this year, and has not yet announced whether it will continue on the exchanges in 2018.
HHS Secretary Price Delays Drug Treatment Record Sharing Rule
About a month after the Obama administration released a final rule that would have made it easier for healthcare providers to share patients’ substance abuse treatment records with one another, HHS secretary Tom Price is pumping the brakes. The rule was supposed to take effect on Friday, but the date has now been pushed to March 21. A Federal Register notice explained that the delayed implementation is meant to allow sufficient time for public comments on the rule.
CMS Projects National Health Expenditure Growth
CMS has released a report that projects national health spending will rise by an average 5.6% annually until 2025, outpacing the projected growth in gross domestic product by 1.2 percentage points. The report attributes the growth to a more rapid pace of increase in medical prices. Lead author Sean Keehan anticipated that because of these cost pressures, “employers, insurers, and other payers will continue to pursue strategies that seek to effectively manage the use and cost of health care goods and services.”
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
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Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
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Gene and Cell Therapies Hold Potential—but How Can Payers Manage Their Costs?
April 18th 2024Presenters at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting discussed the current promise and future potential of gene and cell therapies, as well as payer management strategies for these costly treatments.
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Commonwealth Fund Report Details Pervasive Racial and Ethnic Disparities in US Health Care, Outcomes
April 18th 2024Using 25 health system performance indicators, the Commonwealth Fund 2024 State Health Disparities Report evaluated racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health outcomes both within and across US states and highlighted the urgent need for equitable health care policies and practices in the US.
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