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What We're Reading: Opioid National Emergency; Arkansas Waiver; Hospice Discharges
Trump Declares Opioid Epidemic a National Emergency
President Donald Trump has said that his administration is drafting papers to officially declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency. According to Reuters, a formal declaration could mean additional funding and improved access to treatment. The opioid epidemic will present a different challenge than previous national emergencies, which tended to be short-term crises. Earlier this week, Trump had spoken of law enforcement’s role in stopping the epidemic without declaring a national emergency.
Arkansas Seeks New Type of Medicaid Waiver
The Trump administration has already indicated it is more open to giving states greater flexibility when it comes to Medicaid, and Arkansas is looking to take advantage of that. The state is looking to partially expand Medicaid up to only 100% of the federal poverty line instead of 133%, reported Vox. The state is likely looking to limit its Medicaid expansion population because the federal government will not pay for 100% of the costs. However, it will cover all costs for people on the insurance exchanges.
Discharged From Hospice Before Death
There has been an increase in the number of people being discharged from hospices before they die, and a study has found that these “live discharges” are more profitable, according to NPR. Although there was an association between high rates of live discharges and high profit margins, the researchers were unable to determine the cause. Nearly 1 in 5 patients in hospices are being discharged before they die, a number that has steadily climbed since 2000. The study found that the rate of live discharges is highest in the South.
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.
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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.
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Refining Precision Prevention for Benign Breast Disease
December 7th 2023Many questions remain surrounding accurately classifying the risk of developing invasive breast cancer associated with the benign breast disease diagnoses of nonproliferative lesions and proliferative changes without atypia.
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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.
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Negotiations to extend US global HIV/AIDS relief work are deadlocked; the Biden administration delayed its rule on the proposed menthol cigarette ban until March 2024 after lobbying by civil rights groups; federal agencies have partnered with a digital health company to create an at-home test-to-treat program for flu and COVID-19.
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ASH 2023 to Highlight Options in Care for Blood Diseases—for Those Who Have Access
December 7th 2023The 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, which runs Friday through Tuesday in the San Diego Convention Center, will showcase the growing number of treatment choices in blood cancers and disorders.
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