Centene Is Expanding ACA Offerings
Just 1 day after Vice President Mike Pence said the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was in a “death spiral,” a big insurer is expanding its ACA offerings. According to The Wall Street Journal, Centene is entering 3 new states even while other insurers are retreating from participating in the ACA exchanges. In addition, it will increase offerings in 6 states where it is already participating. However, Centene did announce it will exit the Massachusetts exchange because of low enrollment.
FDA Increases Scrutiny of Abuse-Deterrent
Opioid
Formulations
The FDA is increasing its scrutiny of opioids. Just a week after it asked a company to remove its opioid from the market, the agency is now ramping up scrutiny of abuse-deterrent formulations of opioids, reported The Washington Post. The FDA is trying to determine whether these formulations are “having their intended impact” and actually limiting abuse, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said in a statement.
Hidden Disabilities Pose Challenges for Gaining Benefits
A story by NPR highlights the challenges that people with non-visible disabilities face when trying to access benefits. Overall, less than half of people who apply for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration are accepted, and getting accepted is more difficult for people whose disabilities stem from diseases that are hard to see or measure. And the agency’s attempt to weed out fraud has led to a rule that does not give special consideration to an individual’s personal, longtime doctor, which could make it more difficult for people with hidden disabilities.
What We’re Reading: Abortion Privacy Rules; Alzheimer Drug Hurdles; Nursing Home Staffing Overhaul
April 23rd 2024New health privacy rules aim to protect patients and providers in an evolving abortion landscape; some physicians express concerns about efficacy, risks, and entrenched beliefs in treating Alzheimer disease; CMS addresses longstanding staffing deficits in nursing homes.
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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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