Enrollment for ACA Coverage Declined for the First Time
Amid Republican talk to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and a temporary halt on ads calling people to sign up, enrollment through HealthCare.gov dipped. According to POLITICO, 9.2 million people signed up for coverage through HealthCare.gov, a decline over the previous open enrollment season. The deadline to sign up had been January 31, and just days before the Trump administration decided to nix the remainder of the ad campaign calling people to sign up. Enrollment numbers for the 11 states and the District of Columbia that use their own exchanges have yet to be counted.
Block Grant Idea Faces Increased Opposition
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are facing increased opposition to an idea of using block grants to fund Medicaid. Block grants would provide a fixed amount of money to each state, and opponents say it would reduce benefits, according to Forbes. AARP has come out against the proposed strategy, claiming that it would end guaranteed access to care. With opposition mounting, some think Republicans will back off of block grants—which the party has been interested in for 20 years—and instead turn to per capita caps.
California Bill Bans Drug Coupons
A new bill in California would ban coupons from drug makers to help lower the cost of copayments for some drugs. California Healthline reported that the bill would prohibit coupons for drugs that have cheaper, FDA-approved equivalents. According to assembly member Jim Wood, who introduced the bill, drug coupons are driving patients to use higher-priced drugs, which in turn drive up premiums.
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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The Pivotal Role of Payers in Improving Health Equity, Maternal Health Care in the US
March 26th 2024A presentation at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health's 2024 Women’s Health Summit discussed how payers, including employers and public entities, can strategically influence health care purchasing to prioritize maternal health and equity.
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What We’re Reading: HHS' Funding Flat; Mifepristone Safety; Insulin Shortage
March 25th 2024Flat funding for Health and Human Services (HHS) leaves critical health initiatives stagnant; Supreme Court weighs tightening regulations on abortion pill; manufacturing delay sparks access concerns for insulin medication.
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