What we're reading, November 30, 2015: the Spanish language HealthCare.gov is lagging in sign-ups; the overall federal insurance exchange has fewer preferred provider organizations; and many Americans don't understand why they need the flu vaccine.
Federal Insurance Exchange Struggles to Attract Spanish-Speaking Individuals
The Spanish version of HealthCare.gov is signing up fewer people than last year, according to federal figures. During the first 3 weeks of open enrollment, only 153,000 people used cuidadodesalud.gov compared with 244,000 during the same period last year, according to Washington Post. Overall, the federal insurance exchange is having a more difficult time attracting newcomers.
Many Americans Don’t Understand Why They Need the Flu Vaccine
Less than two-thirds of people say they have been vaccinated or intend to get vaccinated against the flu. Of those who have not been immunized and don’t plan to, more than half don’t see the reason either because they believe the flu shot is unnecessary for them (48%) or because they think the vaccination is ineffective (8%). NPR reported age, not income or education, was the biggest differentiator of whether or not people would get vaccinated.
On HealthCare.gov, There Are Fewer PPOs and They Are Increasingly Expensive
Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) that pay for a portion of the costs for out-of-network hospitals and physicians are becoming less common on the health insurance marketplaces. In addition, Kaiser Health News found that premiums for PPOs are rising faster than more restrictive networks, like health maintenance organizations.
Standard Criteria for Loss of Ambulation Needed in DMD
April 19th 2024A recent study suggests the differences between ambulation definitions for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can impact the identification of ambulant vs nonambulant individuals, and standard criteria across settings are needed.
Read More
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.
Listen
Early Involvement Critical in Treating Immunotherapy-Induced Overlap Syndrome
April 19th 2024A series of case studies reveals the importance of early diagnosis and involvement of special teams of clinicians when dealing with potential cases of overlap syndrome, which encompasses myocarditis, myasthenia gravis, and immune checkpoint inhibitor–related myositis.
Read More
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.
Listen
Government agencies have created an online portal for the public to report potential anticompetitive practices in health care; there are changes coming to the “boxed warning” section for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies (CAR T) to highlight T-cell blood cancer risk; questions about the safety of obesity medications during pregnancy have arisen in women on them who previously struggled with fertility issues.
Read More