Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'I’m Losing Everything': Double Whammy Of High Health Costs, Drug Prices Take Heavy Toll On Patients With Chronic Diseases
Los Angeles Times: Soaring Insurance Deductibles And High Drug Prices Hit Sick Americans With A ‘Double Whammy’
Wendy Matney hesitated to tell her family not to call 911. “It seemed almost selfish to say, ‘Please don’t call because we can’t afford this,’” said the 39-year-old home health aide, who has a form of epilepsy that causes frequent, sometimes violent, seizures. Matney has been to the hospital enough, though, to know a trip means thousands of dollars in bills under the family’s high-deductible health plan. And she and her husband — struggling with more than $20,000 in medical debt — can afford no more. Hit with a hospital lawsuit over unpaid bills, the couple are declaring bankruptcy, effectively giving up hope of moving out of their trailer and buying a house. (Levey, 6/6)
CQ: Health Groups Weigh In On Senate Bill Targeting High Costs
Lawmakers hoping to address rising medical costs this year are working behind the scenes to reach consensus on a sprawling measure, but comments sent to Capitol Hill by industry groups show reaching agreement on some key issues remains difficult. Two weeks ago, Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., unveiled the draft legislation meant to lower prescription drug costs, end surprise medical bills and increase transparency for patients. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which they lead, plans to hold a legislative hearing on the draft bill before marking it up. Alexander has said he hopes to hold a markup before the end of the month. (McIntire, 6/6)
The Wall Street Journal: Need A Medevac? There’s A Membership For That
This is the second installment of a new column exploring the financial decisions that homeowners face, and how they intersect with the social, cultural and economic forces that shape homeowners’ lives. For Stephanie Burns, the first shock came when she found her husband, Gary Burns, bloodied and unconscious on the driveway of their home in rural South Carolina. Mr. Burns had been on his roof spraying for carpenter bees when he fell 14 feet to the ground below. The second shock came when they opened a $22,452 bill for the medevac helicopter that transported Mr. Burns to a trauma center in Greenville, a trip that would have taken an hour by car. (DeCarbo, 6/6)
The Wall Street Journal: Selling Wellness, Whether It Works Or Not
When Daniel Donnelly spent $9 million on a three-bedroom, three-bathroom Manhattan condominium in November, he wasn’t just buying high-end real estate. He was investing in his own wellness. “We have the cleanest possible water in the building, the best air. My building is healthy,” said Mr. Donnelly, 60, who owns a design firm and a restaurant, and recently sold an HVAC and water tower company. He regularly uses 252 E. 57th’s “hydrotherapy circuit,” consisting of a steam room, experiential shower and ice room. He meditates in the sauna, studies Pilates in the Pilates room and receives massages twice weekly in the massage room. (McLaughlin, 6/6)
Kaiser Health News: A Large Employer ‘Frames’ The ‘Medicare For All’ Debate
Walk into a big-box retailer such as Walmart or Michaels and you’re likely to see MCS Industries’ picture frames, decorative mirrors or kitschy wall décor. Adjacent to a dairy farm a few miles west of downtown Easton, MCS is the nation’s largest maker of such household products. But MCS doesn’t actually make anything here anymore. It has moved its manufacturing operations to Mexico and China, with the last manufacturing jobs departing this city along the Delaware River in 2005. MCS now has about 175 U.S. employees and 600 people overseas. (Galewitz, 6/7)
Kaiser Health News: Payroll Tax Is One State’s Bold Solution To Help Seniors Age At Home
Nearly a decade after federal officials discarded a provision in the Affordable Care Act that would have provided Americans with long-term care insurance benefits, two states — Washington and Hawaii — are experimenting with taxpayer-funded plans to help older residents remain in their homes. Washington state’s ambitious plan, signed into law in May, will employ a new 0.58% payroll tax (or “premium,” as policymakers prefer to call it) to fund a $36,500 benefit for individuals to pay for home health care, as well as other services — from installing grab bars in the shower to respite care for family caregivers. (Blankinship, 6/7)
