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What We're Reading: Are Reforms Coming to Medicare?
What we're reading, November 28, 2016: The GOP is considering reforms to Medicare and Democrats are gearing up for a fight; the IRS will send letters to try to sign more people up for Obamacare; and the abortion rate reaches the lowest level in decades.
The Republican Party is eyeing Medicare reforms following its Election Day success. According to The New York Times, House Republicans are considering a fixed government contribution for each beneficiary instead of the current open-ended commitment. Democrats are preparing for a battle over the changes, which they believe would lead to sicker patients being left in traditional Medicare to face higher premiums, while healthier beneficiaries choose private insurance through the Medicare program.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is attempting to sign more people up for health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act. The agency will send out letters to Americans who pay the tax penalty instead of purchasing insurance, reported The Washington Times. Republicans say the plan risks disclosure of taxpayers’ information, but the IRS claims it is only following the law, which requires it to let people know about the option.
The abortion rate in the United States has reached the lowest level since 1971, which was before abortion rights had been extended nationwide. The CDC reported that the abortion rate for 2013 was 12.5 abortions per 1000 women. However, the CDC doesn’t receive abortion information from California, Maryland, and New Hampshire.
Disparities in Telehealth Access Undermine Adoption Among Patients With Schizophrenia
January 16th 2025The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the widespread adoption of telemental health care, and new research indicates significant racial and ethnic disparities in access to this technology among Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia.
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Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Pharmacy Support for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
December 19th 2024Rachael Drake, pharmacy technician coordinator, University of Kansas Health System, explains how her team collaborates with insurance companies and providers to support treatment access for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Telephone Follow-Up on Medicare Patient Surveys Remains Critical
January 16th 2025Including a telephone component in Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey administration continues to be valuable because telephone responses comprise a substantial portion of responses for several underserved groups.
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Study Suggests Postdischarge Care Needs Targeted, Multifaceted Approaches
January 15th 2025The findings challenge the effectiveness of these widely used transitional care interventions and suggest a need for more targeted, multifaceted approaches to address the needs of higher-risk patients.
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