Trump Administration Makes ACA Payments to Insurers
Shortly after the Senate was unable to vote on its bill to repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Trump administration paid insurers key subsidies under the law. According to The Hill, the cost-sharing reduction payments were made just before the deadline for the month of July. However, despite paying this month, the administration has not committed to continuing to pay subsidies in future months. The payments help insurers keep premiums down in the individual market.
Potency and Safety of Drugs Past Expiration
When prescription drugs go past their expiration date, they are typically tossed in the garbage, but they may still be useful. The expiration date on medications is simply a date at which the FDA no longer guarantees the effectiveness of the drugs, but that doesn’t mean the drugs become ineffective or unsafe. Research at the University of California, San Diego, is attempting to ascertain if drugs can be safely used after the expiration date. If they can, it could help reduce waste in the US health system and bring down the cost of care.
CBO Scores ACA Repeal Bill
With the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act off the table now that 4 Republican senators have voiced opposition, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) is reviving the idea of a straight repeal of the ACA. The CBO recently scored such a proposal and found that under the legislation, which is an update to a 2015 bill passed by Republicans and vetoed by President Barack Obama, 17 million Americans would lose their insurance within the first year, reported Politico. The repeal bill would end Medicaid expansion and most of the ACA's taxes, but premiums would increase by 25% during the first year.
Empowering Teams Begins With Human Connection: Missy Hopson, PhD
April 16th 2025Missy Hopson, PhD, Ochsner Health, discussed in detail the challenges of strengthening the patient-centered workforce, the power of community reputation for encouraging health care careers, and the influence of empowered workforces on patient outcomes.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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SGLT2 Inhibitors Show Renal Benefits in HF and CKD as Prescribers Target Uptake Gaps
April 15th 2025Abstracts featured at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meeting highlighted the renoprotective benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors in heart failure and diabetic kidney disease while emphasizing the need for strategies to increase their uptake in primary care.
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Lifestyle Interventions, Statins, Among Keys to Mitigating CVD Risk in MASLD/MASH
April 15th 2025A recent review highlights the gaps in clinical guidelines and treatment approaches for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and looks ahead to the future promise of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for liver conditions.
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