President Trump Eyes Selling Insurance Across State Lines
As early as next week, President Donald Trump could sign an executive order to allow health insurers to sell plans across state lines. Trump first mentioned his desire to allow such action during his campaign, with the idea that allowing insurers to sell across state lines will provide more options for consumers, reported The Washington Post. Conservatives argue that such a move will lower premiums by increasing competition, but insurers are reluctant. Selling across state lines means patients will have access to out-of-state doctors and hospitals, which they may not be interested in.
Price in Hot Water Over Travel Expenses
HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, made headlines when it was uncovered that he had racked up nearly $400,000 in travel expenses since May. Now, Democrats are calling for his resignation, and they have an unlikely ally. The Hill reported that Trump is not happy about the extensive travel Price has made on charter flights and he was vague about whether or not he considered it a cause to be fired. A small group of House Democrats have banded together to urge Price’s dismissal over what they call a “breach of the public trust.”
San Diego Hepatitis Outbreak Death Toll Rises
The public health emergency in San Diego of a hepatitis A outbreak has now claimed 17 lives. The overall case count has jumped to 461 and public health officials are currently investigating 49 suspected hepatitis cases and 1 death, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the last week, there has been an uptick in hepatitis A vaccinations as a result of a public education campaign. The CDC is preparing to send representatives to San Diego for a planning meeting on future efforts.
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.
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Kaiser Permanente was hit by a data breach in mid-April, impacting 13.4 million health plan members; GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) sued Pfizer and BioNTech for allegedly infringing on its messenger RNA technology patents in the companies’ COVID-19 vaccines; the CDC announced the first-known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections.
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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.
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