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What We're Reading: SCOTUS Abortion Ruling; Use of HDHPs Grows; More Seniors Die at Home
A California law that requires clinics to notify women that abortions paid for by the state are available has been ruled a violation of free speech rights; half of all workers in the United States have health insurance with a deductible of at least $1000, which is up from 22% in 2009; a new study found that more seniors insured by Medicare are dying at home instead of a hospital.
Supreme Court Blocks Rule Requiring Notification of Abortion Availability
A California law that requires clinics, even those that are pro-life, to notify women that abortions paid for by the state are available has been ruled unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that the law violated the free speech rights of those facilities that do not want to promote abortion, according to Reuters. The vote went along party lines with the 5 conservative justices appointed by Republican presidents voting down the law and the 4 liberal justices appointed by Democratic presidents dissenting.
High-Deductible Health Plans Continue to Grow in Use
Half of all workers in the United States have health insurance with a deductible of at least $1000, which is up from 22% in 2009. In that same time period, the proportion of large employers offering only high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) grew from 7% to 39%, reported Bloomberg. The trend of offering HDHPs took off during the financial crisis, when employers were trying to cut costs, and again with the Affordable Care Act. Some companies, such as JPMorgan Chase and CVS Health, have announced plans to cover more care costs or reduce deductibles for their employees.
More Seniors Are Dying at Home
A new study found that more seniors insured by Medicare are dying at home instead of a hospital. Los Angeles Times reported that 29% of seniors who were dying spent part of the final month of life in the intensive care unit, indicating a stabilization of a trend that had risen from 2000 to 2009. The research also found that in 2015, approximately 40% of patients passed away either in a home, hospice, assisted living facility, or other community setting compared with just 31% in 2000.
What's at Stake as Oral Arguments Are Presented in the Braidwood Case? Q&A With Richard Hughes IV
April 21st 2025Richard Hughes IV, JD, MPH, spoke about the upcoming oral arguments to be presented to the Supreme Court regarding the Braidwood case, which would determine how preventive services are guaranteed insurance coverage.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Varied Access: The Pharmacogenetic Testing Coverage Divide
February 18th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the author of a study published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® to uncover significant differences in coverage decisions for pharmacogenetic tests across major US health insurers.
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Comparing Breast Cancer Treatment Outcomes Between Fee-for-Service and Medicare Advantage
April 4th 2025This study examined postdiagnosis breast cancer treatment outcomes for Medicare Advantage vs fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare in Ohio and found no significant differences overall but disparities for Black patients with FFS Medicare.
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