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What We’re Reading: MA Reimbursement Cuts Reduced; Social Security, Medicare Shortfalls; CDC Teams Sickened
Rates for reimbursement cuts will be lower than expected within Medicare Advantage plans; financial safety nets, in the form of Social Security and Medicare, are likely to be unable pay full benefits; CDC teams experience symptoms similar to East Palestine, Ohio, residents following train derailment
CMS Announces Lower MA Cuts Than Expected
The US government announced on Friday that cuts of reimbursement rates for health insurers offering Medicare Advantage (MA) coverage would be lower than expected, at an average of 1.1%, according to Reuters. CMS announced its expected total payments for 2024 would increase by 3.3% from 2023, or around $13.8 billion. These revisions are to be implemented over the next 3 years, with estimated cuts to be smaller in the first year.
Social Security, Medicare Expected to Fall Short Over Next Decade
The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released on Friday warns that these financial safety nets for millions of older Americans will fall short of money to pay full benefits over the next decade, according to The Associated Press. The report states that Medicare, which covers 65 million older and disabled Americans, will be unable to pay full benefits for inpatient hospital visits and nursing home stays by 2031 and that Social Security will be unable to pay out full benefits to its 66 million retirees by 2033.
CDC Teams Get Sick Following Ohio Train Derailment Investigation
The CDC has announced that team members sent to investigate the aftermath of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, became briefly ill in March, according to The Hill. Similar to symptoms reported by some residents in the area, 7 of 15 investigators experienced sore throat, headache, coughing, and nausea, stated a CDC spokesperson. It remains unclear whether exposure to chemicals and hazardous materials from the derailment are linked to these symptoms, which resolved for most team members who were then able to continue working within 24 hours of feeling sick.
Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
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Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias Cause Surging Economic Burden for Minoritized Communities
June 5th 2025African American and Latino older adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementias and their families are likely to face disproportionately high burdens, primarily associated with unpaid caregiving, suggesting the need for policies that may reduce economic burdens for all US residents.
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Use of Voluntary Alignment in the Next Generation ACO Model
June 5th 2025Use of voluntary alignment attribution by Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) participants was limited. The authors highlight the reasons and describe organizational use cases via a mixed-methods approach.
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