Some States’ Health Law Enrollment Numbers Soar, While Others Falter
Minnesota saw record numbers and a smooth overall sign-up period, but preliminary reports tell a different story for other states.
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Minnesota saw record numbers and a smooth overall sign-up period, but preliminary reports tell a different story for other states.
Almost every insurer in the business badly underestimated how many claims would be filed and how long people would draw payments before dying. People are living and keeping their policies much longer than expected, which is making the business unsustainable for the companies. In other marketplace news, some of Humana's employees will be getting a wage increase thanks to the Republicans' tax plan, and Aetna has agreed to settle claims over a privacy breach.
Hospitals have long borne the brunt of price increases in the industry, facing shortages of drugs like morphine or encountering sudden hikes for old, off-patent products. Sick and tired of it, they're taking measures into their own hands. In other pharmaceutical news: updates on the 340B drug program debate and legislation on over-the-counter drug approvals.
The doctors, who have not examined Donald Trump, find it alarming that the president's LDL levels remain above 140 even though he is taking 10 milligrams of Crestor, a powerful drug that is used to lower cholesterol levels to well below 100. Meanwhile, Trump's doctor credited his genes for his good health, but experts say the president shouldn't bank on that forever.
The division would help legally insulate doctors, nurses and other health care personnel from performing procedures they may object to due to religious or moral reasons -- such as abortions or caring for transgender patients.
The 15-12 vote mostly fell along party lines. If confirmed by the full Senate, Alex Azar will return to the Department of Health and Human Services, this time to take up the helm.
A six-year extension of funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program has been included in a short-term funding bill to try to woo the Democrats, while a delay of certain Affordable Care Act taxes was included to sway Republicans. But Thursday morning, President Donald Trump tweeted that he doesn't think CHIP should be part of short-term solution. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says he's confident he'll have the votes to pass the stopgap legislation by the time it gets to the floor. Media outlets offer a look at what else lawmakers are pushing to have included, and give perspective on what would happen to the industry if the government shuts down.
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on how new national and state policies are impacting health care.
A selection of opinions on health care from news outlets around the country.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Media outlets report on news from New Hampshire, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Vermont and Illinois.
About five percent of the U.S. population has the parasite, but many doctors are unaware of the infection. In other public health news: prostate cancer, diabetes, health data, sneezing, and more.
The category, which includes accidental drug overdoses, saw a 10 percent uptick in 2016. Meanwhile, states are starting to open their Medicaid programs to covering alternative pain treatments in an effort to combat the opioid crisis.
But Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is stopping far short of the full disclosure he called for before he took up the reins of the agency. In other news, the Food and Drug Administration and Pentagon are working to expedite approvals for devices and drugs that are used on the battlefield.
“It’s an election year, so getting substantial stuff done from Congress is usually a stretch,” said Tom McClusky, vice president of government affairs with March for Life, which opposes abortion. “However, it is a good chance to bring up bills to highlight the differences between pro-lifers and those who are not.”
Ministries have no guarantee of solvency and can reject claims that traditional insurance companies are barred from rejecting. They also have little, if any, government oversight. In addition, they drain the traditional marketplace of healthy people.
The country's largest insurer says it will invest the money in new technology and local community-based health care initiatives.
Dr. Ronny Jackson, who has served as the presidential physician since 2013, said he recommended President Donald Trump lose 10 to 15 pounds, who at 6 feet 3 inches tall with a body mass index of 29.9 is just shy of officially being obese.
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