Latest 蘑菇影院 Health News Stories
AC, Power Banks, Mini Fridges: Oregon Equips Medicaid Patients for Climate Change
Oregon is giving Medicaid patients air conditioners and other equipment to help them cope with soaring heat, smoky skies, and other dangers of climate change. Oregon health officials hope to show other states and the federal government that they can save lives and money.
Sign Here? Financial Agreements May Leave Doctors in the Driver鈥檚 Seat
Agreeing to an out-of-network doctor鈥檚 own financial policy 鈥 which generally protects their ability to get paid and may be littered with confusing insurance and legal jargon 鈥 can create a binding contract that leaves a patient owing.
Whatever Happened to Biden鈥檚 Public Option?
In the 2020 elections, then-candidate Joe Biden and many of his congressional colleagues loudly advocated for a federal 鈥減ublic option鈥 health insurance plan. It was framed, at the time, as part of his incoming administration鈥檚 response to the pandemic. 鈥淟ow-income Americans will be automatically enrolled in the public option at zero cost to them, though […]
Millions Were Booted From Medicaid. The Insurers That Run It Gained Medicaid Revenue Anyway.
Big health insurers that have contracts with state Medicaid programs find themselves making more money even as enrollment in Medicaid programs has dropped. Here鈥檚 why.
Biden鈥檚 Election-Year Play to Further Expand Obamacare
The Biden administration wants to make it easier for Americans to get dental care. But don鈥檛 try booking an appointment just yet. A new regulation out this month allows states to include adult dental care as a benefit that health insurers must cover under the Affordable Care Act. Following record ACA enrollment this year, the proposal represents an […]
Medicare Stumbles Managing a Costly Problem 鈥 Chronic Illness
Nearly a decade ago, Medicare launched a program to help the two-thirds of beneficiaries with chronic conditions by paying their doctors an additional monthly fee to coordinate their care. The strategy has largely failed to live up to its potential; only about 4 percent of potentially eligible beneficiaries in the traditional Medicare program are enrolled, […]
Unsheltered People Are Losing Medicaid in Redetermination Mix-Ups
Some of the nearly 130,000 Montanans who have lost Medicaid coverage as the state reevaluates eligibility are homeless. That鈥檚 in part because Montana kicked more than 80,000 people off the program for technical reasons rather than income ineligibility. For unhoused people who were disenrolled, getting back on Medicaid can be extraordinarily difficult.
California Legislators Debate Froot Loops and Free Condoms
California state lawmakers this year are continuing their progressive tilt on health policy, debating bills banning an ingredient in Froot Loops and offering free condoms for high schoolers.
Medical Providers Still Grappling With UnitedHealth Cyberattack: 鈥楳ore Devastating Than Covid鈥
Medical providers say they’re still coping with the Change Healthcare cyberattack disclosed in February even though parent company UnitedHealth Group reported that much is back to normal and its revenue is up over last year.
Too Big To Fail? Now It鈥檚 ‘Too Big To Hack’
Congress this week had the chance to formally air grievances over the cascading consequences of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and lawmakers from both major parties agreed on one culprit: consolidation in health care. Plus, about a year after states began stripping people from their Medicaid rolls, a new survey shows nearly a quarter of adults who were disenrolled are now uninsured. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner interviews Caroline Pearson of the Peterson Health Technology Institute.
Lawsuit Alleges Obamacare Plan-Switching Scheme Targeted Low-Income Consumers
The lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that large call centers were used to enroll people into Affordable Care Act plans or to switch their coverage, all without their permission.
When Rogue Brokers Switch People鈥檚 ACA Policies, Tax Surprises Can Follow
Some tax filers鈥 returns are being rejected because they failed to provide information about Affordable Care Act coverage they didn鈥檛 even know they had.
Nearly 1 in 4 Adults Dumped From Medicaid Are Now Uninsured, Survey Finds
A first-of-its-kind survey of Medicaid enrollees found that nearly a quarter who were dropped from the program in the last year鈥檚 unwinding say they鈥檙e uninsured.
Casi 1 de cada 4 adultos desafiliados de Medicaid siguen sin seguro, indica encuesta
Las protecciones que tuvo el programa durante la pandemia, que imped铆an que se expulsaran beneficiarios, expiraron la primavera pasada.
Doctors Take On Dental Duties to Reach Low-Income and Uninsured Patients
More doctors are integrating oral health care into their practices, filling a need in America鈥檚 dental deserts.
M茅dicos de atenci贸n primaria asumen tareas de dentista para ayudar a pacientes vulnerables
En Denver, la inestabilidad de la vivienda, las barreras del idioma, la falta de transporte y el “costo astron贸mico” de la odontolog铆a sin seguro hacen que la atenci贸n dental sea inaccesible para muchos nuevos inmigrantes.
An Arm and a Leg: Attack of the Medicare Machines
In this episode of 鈥淎n Arm and a Leg,鈥 host Dan Weissmann tells a horror story. Instead of monsters and aliens, it鈥檚 about private health insurance companies and algorithms that call the shots on patient care.
Readers Speak Up About Women’s Health Issues, From Reproductive Care to Drinking
蘑菇影院 Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
After Public Push, CMS Curbs Health Insurance Agents鈥 Access to Consumer SSNs
Days after publication of a 蘑菇影院 Health News article about Obamacare enrollees being switched to different plans without their knowledge or consent, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services took steps to tighten insurance agents鈥 access to private consumer information on the federal marketplace.
Rising Complaints of Unauthorized Obamacare Plan-Switching and Sign-Ups Trigger Concern
Federal and state regulators are mulling what they can do to thwart this growing problem.
