What we're reading, September 14, 2016: CMS denies Ohio's proposal to charge Medicaid fees; steep costs of healthcare continue to push Americans into poverty; and Canada approves prescription heroin to treat severe addiction.
CMS has denied Ohio’s proposal to charge new Medicaid fees and impose penalties on those who miss payments. According to The Columbus Dispatch, the federal government estimated that Ohio’s proposed policies would result in more than 125,000 people losing coverage each year. In addition, the state was looking to exclude people from coverage until they pay all arrears, which is something CMS has not approved in any state. Governor John Kasich’s administration projected that taxpayers would save nearly $1 billion under the proposed changes.
There has been some recent good news for Americans: household income is up, while the number of people living in poverty and without health insurance both continue fell. However, CBS News reported that steep costs of healthcare continue to push Americans into poverty. Under a new measure being reported by the Census Bureau, medical expenses have increased the number of people living in poverty by 11.2 million, or 3.5%. Since the Census Bureau started reporting this measure in 2010, it hasn’t changed much even with more and more Americans gaining health coverage.
As America grapples with its opioid epidemic, with heroin-related deaths more than tripling between 2010 and 2014, Canada has taken a unique step to help treat addicts. The Canadian government has approved prescription heroin so doctors can treat severe addicts who have not responded to conventional approaches, reported The Washington Post. A clinic is Vancouver is currently the only program in Canada and the United States to provide this approach, but 8 European countries are already doing something similar.
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
Listen
California Aims for Equity by Redefining Cancer Care
December 8th 2023Authors highlight key aspects of the California Cancer Care Equity Act, including its focus on Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the requirement for managed care plans to contract with specialized cancer centers, and the definition of complex cancers.
Read More
Insufficient Data, Disparities Plague Lung Cancer Risk Factor Documentation
September 24th 2023On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the senior author of a study published in the September 2023 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® on the importance of adequate and effective lung cancer risk factor documentation to determine a patient's eligibility for screening.
Listen
Patients With RA in Remission Withdrawing From TNF Inhibition Show Flare Increases
December 8th 2023New data presented at ACR 2023 highlighted the differences in rates of flares and Boolean 2.0 remission rates compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis who continued a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi).
Read More
New Insights on Breast Cancer Outcomes Among Sexual, Gender Minorities
December 7th 2023Despite there being a great demand for data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity in the cancer space, individuals who identify as a sexual and gender minority remain poorly represented.
Read More