Although the Trump administration has slowly been chipping away at the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurers are feeling more confident in the ACA marketplaces; New York and Massachusetts are suing the administration over the fact that association health plans can bypass many of the ACA's requirements; a new flu vaccine was slightly more effective in seniors during last winter.
Although the Trump administration has slowly been chipping away at the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurers are feeling more confident in the ACA marketplaces. According to The Wall Street Journal, more insurers are turning profits in the marketplaces and regulatory filings show some insurers feel confident enough to expand their footprints. For instance, Centene Corp and Molina Healthcare will newly enter North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Utah, while Oscar Insurance will enter Florida, Arizona, and Michigan, as well as add to its presence in Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas.
When announcing the final rule for implementing association health plans, the Trump administration highlighted that the plans can bypass many of the ACA’s requirements. Now, New York and Massachusetts are suing the administration over that fact, reported The Hill. According to the states’ attorneys general, the health plans “invite fraud, mismanagement, and deception.” The association health plans allow small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together to purchase insurance, even across state lines. Since the plans don’t have to cover the ACA’s 10 essential benefits, they are cheaper than typical ACA plans.
A new flu vaccine was slightly more effective in seniors during last winter. The Associated Press reported that Flucelvax was 26.5% effective at keeping people age 65 and older out of the hospital. In comparison, the average effectiveness of all vaccines was 24%. In general, most flu vaccines were not very effective against the strain from last winter. Those vaccines are typically made in chicken eggs, but Flucelvax was made in animal cells instead.
Males With Hemophilia A Report Physical, Mental Burdens of Disease Regardless of Severity
April 25th 2024Self-reported data from adult and pediatric males with hemophilia A show that burden of the disease persists regardless of severity, highlighting a need for improved prophylactic treatment.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
Listen
Lack of Mutations Associated With Favorable Prognosis in MPN-U
April 25th 2024While the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System and bone marrow blasts may predict overall survival, the lack of certain mutations is also associated with a better prognosis for myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable (MPN-U).
Read More