Insurance

Robert Kratzke, MD, urged insurance providers to prioritize fast biomarker testing in non–small cell lung cancer, saying it’s both cost-effective and life-saving.

Medicare inflation rebates fail to curb rising drug prices, highlighting the need for further policy action to control costs.

A webinar held by KFF on July 9 emphasized the immediate effects of the new budget bill, highlighting the impacts on Medicaid and health spending in the next decade.

Families caring for individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) face significant financial burdens from necessary home and vehicle modifications to enhance quality of life.

Access to and affordability of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which can be lifesaving if patients receive them on time and under optimal circumstances, continue to top the list of reasons behind outcomes disparities for patients who have private insurance vs those who remain uninsured.

From the impact of rising grocery prices to disparities in myeloma outcomes, check out news from the Center on Health Equity & Access this past week.

The decision by the Supreme Court has major implications on which preventive services are required to be covered by insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act.

Several evidence-based health literacy resources may be beneficial in health plan settings to improve organizational health literacy, personal health literacy, and health equity.

Up to 257 million Americans could benefit from these prior authorization reforms that could have cross-market implications on health care plans administered through commercial insurers, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid.

Widespread noncompliance with federal cost-sharing rules exists, particularly impacting Medicare beneficiaries and patient-preferred prep options, study finds.

The Choose Medicare Act would establish a Medicare Part E that would give employers and the general public the ability to opt into the program.

Supported value-based care improves prenatal care while reducing neonatal intensive care unit stays, preterm birth rates, low birth weight rates, and costs for mothers and infants.

A private oncology shared savings plan reduced colon cancer treatment costs. Results varied by tumor, with none in breast cancer and mixed effects in lung cancer.

Patients who remained on treatment, especially at higher doses or on tirzepatide, were more likely to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss and improved glycemic control.

Adolescents face significant barriers to obesity medication access, despite a surge in prescriptions. Discover the disparities and potential solutions in obesity care.

Accessing medical and social resources for patients, heavy administrative burden, and lack of data integration are barriers to Medicaid managed care organization care coordinators’ job performance.

Rural marketplace rating area change in Texas did not increase enrollment but increased share of enrollment in gold plans.

A score was developed to measure patient risk from payer utilization management policies and its relationship to real-world US commercial payer utilization management policies.

Payers should consider providing higher reimbursement rates and/or preferred pharmacy networking status for pharmacies that provide chronic medications in blister packs for patients.

Mental health outpatient services decreased in adults aged 65 years and older who were eligible for Medicare.

A new State of Drug Access report shows that more than 40% of people living in the US could not afford their prescribed drugs.

Veterans primarily receiving care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) similarly used dental and vision services under Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare, challenging the justification for full MA capitated payments based on supplemental benefits.

Emma Achola-Kothari, PhD, highlights the need to expand Medigap access for Medicare beneficiaries younger than 65 years and calls for future research connecting access barriers to health outcomes.

Emma Achola-Kothari, PhD, explains that younger Medicare beneficiaries without supplemental coverage face high costs, while dual-eligible beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage plans struggle with provider access.

Emma Achola-Kothari, PhD, explains that Medicare beneficiaries younger than 65 years without supplemental coverage face greater financial and access barriers to care, while dual-eligible individuals experience fewer of these challenges.

Covered California and Health Net’s novel data exchange initiative significantly improved quality measurement and potentially reduced costs by more than $640,000.

Proposed Medicaid cuts in the Republican budget proposal hold significant implications for health care access and coverage.

The Maryland All-Payer Model was associated with an increase in population-based rates of elective major joint replacements, with a more pronounced effect observed in Maryland-only hospitals.

Physician groups under 2-sided risk–based Medicare Advantage provide care associated with higher quality and efficiency compared with care by these same groups under fee-for-service Medicare.

Laundromats offer a promising outreach setting for Medicaid payers because Medicaid enrollees represent a majority of laundromat users and have disproportionately high levels of unmet needs.