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What We're Reading: No Premiums; Ariz. Medicaid Expansion; Coverage of the Opioid Epidemic
Top news of the day: More people will have access to ACA plans with no premiums, a challenge to Arizona's Medicaid expansion funding goes to the state supreme court, and a dive into coverage of the opioid epidemic.
More ACA Plans Will Have No Premiums
The Fate of Arizona’s Medicaid Expansion
A Look at the Opioid Epidemic
The decision by President Donald Trump to cut off the cost-sharing subsidies to insurers may actually help the Affordable Care Act (ACA). According to The Wall Street Journal, ending the insurer subsidies actually increased consumer subsidies and the number of people who can buy an ACA plan with no premium. Insurers are expected to promote the no-premium plans to draw in more enrollees.A challenge to the funding mechanism for Arizona’s Medicaid expansion plan has reached the state’s supreme court. Republicans who brought the lawsuit argued that the hospital assessment fee that helps pay for the expansion plan, reported AP. Arizona’s Medicaid expansion program covers 400,000 residents, and the whole Medicaid plan covers 1.9 million Arizona adults. The court hasn’t indicated when it would issue a ruling.With the president declaring the opioid epidemic a public health emergency, The New York Times has provided a look at its ongoing reporting of the crisis. The coverage includes how toddlers and young children have also been affected, a dive into the data on overdose deaths from 1999 to 2014, and treating inmates who are recovering addicts.
Report Reveals Mounting Burdens of Drug Shortages on US Health System
June 27th 2025Vizient's 2024 survey reveals a sharp rise in drug shortages across US health care, with pediatric care hit especially hard and labor costs soaring—but the true impact may go far beyond limited medication access, threatening to disrupt the very foundations of how health systems operate.
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Blister Packs May Help Solve Medication Adherence Challenges and Lower Health Care Costs
June 10th 2025Julia Lucaci, PharmD, MS, of Becton, Dickinson and Company, discusses the benefits of blister packaging for chronic medications, advocating for payer incentives to boost medication adherence and improve health outcomes.
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