Iowa Seeks Waiver to Leave ACA
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is facing another critical test as a state tries to opt out of the law. According to The New York Times, Iowa has requested that the Trump administration allows the state to opt out of HealthCare.gov and create a state-run system. The idea is that the plan will help lower premiums, since Iowans buying an ACA plan are facing a steep premium increase for 2018. However, there are reports that President Donald Trump doesn’t want to approve the waiver and has reached out to HHS to order that it is rejected.
Acting HHS Secretary Named
After Tom Price, MD, resigned as HHS secretary at the end of September, a temporary replacement has been named. Eric Hargan is the new acting secretary of HHS, and is taking over for Don Wright, who had been filling the position since Price left, reported Bloomberg. Hargan once held the position of deputy secretary in HHS under President George W. Bush. He also served on Trump’s transition team and is a former corporate lawyer.
What Will Purchasing Across State Lines Accomplish?
Trump has indicated he is ready to sign an executive order that will allow people to buy health insurance across state lines, which is supposed to bring down the cost. Specifically, the order would allow the creation of associations, made up of consumers and small businesses, to buy health coverage. According to NPR, these health plans would not have to follow ACA regulations and would likely draw healthier people out of the marketplace. As a result, the population left to purchase ACA insurance would be sicker, which would increase premiums.
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March 28th 2024A population-based cohort study out of Norway has found that older men have a higher risk of developing second primary invasive melanoma following an initial primary melanoma, suggesting the benefits of increased surveillance in these patients.
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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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The Pivotal Role of Payers in Improving Health Equity, Maternal Health Care in the US
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