November 21st 2024
Despite significant progress in expanding health insurance coverage since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted, millions of Americans still face critical gaps in access and affordability to health care.
November 20th 2024
Part 3: Dr James Robinson on the Impact of 340B Programs and Drug Pricing Policies
February 23rd 2024In part 3 of our interview with James Robinson, PhD, MPH, he discusses the need for reforms to commercial insurance that reflect the changes to Medicare under the Inflation Reduction Act, how the 340B drug pricing program has veered widely from its original goals, and ongoing cost sharing struggles among patients, insurers, hospitals, and drug companies.
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What We’re Reading: Weight Loss Drug Coverage; COVID Vaccine Potential AEs; Shifting Medicaid Policy
February 20th 2024Insurers grapple with expanding overage for weight loss medications; a new analysis reveals a potential correlation between COVID-19 vaccinations and various adverse effects (AEs); reshaping Medicaid programs remains an ongoing debate about ensuring health care access.
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Carrie Kozlowski on Access, AI, and the Future of Health Care Data Utilization
February 19th 2024Carrie Kozlowski, OT, MBA highlights 3 key trends shaping the future of health care: a focus on health equity with actionable strategies for equitable access to care, a transition toward responsible AI utilization, and a push to maximize the potential of patient data while addressing privacy concerns.
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Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: February 17, 2024
February 17th 2024This week in health equity and access includes challenges for independent physicians due to Medicare cuts, inequities in access to State Health Insurance Assistance Program counseling, a study on patient experiences in national health plans, strategies for building trust in cancer care, and increasing breast cancer rates in young Black women.
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Carrie Kozlowski: Enhancing Patient Access Amidst Rising Medicaid Disenrollment
February 15th 2024Carrie Kozlowski, OT, MBA, chief operating officer and cofounder of Upfront Healthcare, explains how the company emphasizes personalized engagement to overcome technological, cultural, and social barriers while Medicaid disenrollment rates are increasing.
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Dr David Eagle: CMS Reimbursement Cuts Encourage Trend of Independent Physician Exodus
February 12th 2024Over the past 20 years, Medicare physician pay has plummeted by 26% when adjusted for inflation, while hospital reimbursement has surged by 70%, prompting over 100,000 doctors to abandon independent practice for hospital or corporate employment since 2019.
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Lowering Cardiometabolic Drug Costs May Improve Diabetes Health Outcomes
February 9th 2024Patients enrolled in a preventive drug list (PDL) benefit saw an 8.4% reduction in acute, preventable diabetes complication days, and PDL members residing in lower-income areas saw a 10.2% decrease compared with control members.
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Part D Drug Spending Cap Could Save Money for 1.5 Million Medicare Beneficiaries Next Year
February 8th 2024A provision in the Inflation Reduction Act will implement a $2000 out-of-pocket cap on Medicare beneficiaries’ prescription drug spending, which could save money for more than 1 million enrollees when it takes effect next year.
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House Republicans voted to ban quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) from being used as a drug pricing metric in federal health programs; insurance executives disapproved of newly proposed 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) rates; patients with long COVID enrolled in an online exercise program said their health improved more than people who received standard care.
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The Relationship Between Preventive Dental Care and Overall Medical Expenditures
Using an instrumental variable approach, this study is the first to present causal estimates of the effect of preventive dental visits on overall medical expenditures.
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Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: February 3, 2024
February 3rd 2024The Center on Health Equity and Access provides real-time updates, shares cutting-edge research, and supports continuous efforts dedicated to tackling health care disparities and enhancing widespread access to high-quality health services.
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Pandemic-era policies that made it easier for patients to receive opioid addiction treatment will continue permanently; the Biden administration is facing pressure from Democrats and reproductive health groups to make sure the first OTC birth control pill is affordable; a FDA expert panel on Friday is set to resume the debate over how to make pulse oximeters more accurate for people with darker skin.
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Older Adults in Traditional Medicare Spend Weeks Per Year on Health Care Contact Days
February 1st 2024Days spent obtaining health care outside the home may show access to needed care, but also add up to substantial time, effort, and cost burdens to patients and those who care for them, according to the study authors.
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CMS released the proposed 2025 Advance Notice for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Programs; there have been 561 deaths related to the use of Philips’ recalled ventilators and machines for treating obstructive sleep apnea since 2021; the FDA warned the public against copycat eye drops due to infection risk.
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40-GEP Test Utilization Can Mitigate Financial Burden of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
February 1st 2024Medicare-eligible patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) could save on health care costs by utilizing the 40-gene expression profile (40-GEP) to guide treatment decisions.
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Translating DMD Clinical Trial Findings to Real-World Application Discouraging
January 31st 2024This analysis compared outcomes among patients who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and commercial insurance or Medicaid, focusing on how these differ between patients in clinical trials and those who receive treatment post approval.
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