Medicaid and the Uninsured: Feb. 23, 2023

Era of ‘Free’ Covid Vaccines, Test Kits, and Treatments Is Ending. Who Will Pay the Tab Now?
By Julie Appleby Insurers, employers, and taxpayers will all be affected as drug manufacturers move these products to the commercial market.

‘We Ain’t Gonna Get It’: Why Bernie Sanders Says His ‘Medicare for All’ Dream Must Wait
By Arthur Allen As he takes the reins of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, the independent from Vermont and implacable champion of “Medicare for All” maps out his strategy for negotiating with Republicans — and Big Pharma.

Community Resurrects Colorado Birth Center Closed by Private Equity Firm
By Claire Cleveland A private equity firm bought a birth center and then shut it down. The community brought it back as a nonprofit.

California’s Resolve Questioned After It Grants Medi-Cal Contract Concessions
By Bernard J. Wolfson and Samantha Young After the Department of Health Care Services canceled Medi-Cal contract awards under pressure from major insurers, some consumer advocates question the administration’s willpower to improve care in the safety-net program.

It’s ‘Telehealth vs. No Care’: Doctors Say Congress Risks Leaving Patients Vulnerable
By Sarah Jane Tribble Congress’ $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package included a two-year extension of pandemic-era funding that helped telehealth services grow nationwide. But that cash bridge, embraced by those delivering services to patients in rural areas, doesn’t provide much certainty for the future of remote medicine.

As Pandemic-Era Medicaid Provisions Lapse, Millions Approach a Coverage Cliff
By Phil Galewitz States are trying to reach millions of Medicaid enrollees to make sure those still eligible remain covered and help others find new health insurance.

Centene Agrees to $215 Million Settlement With California for Alleged Medicaid Overbilling
By Samantha Young The nation’s largest Medicaid insurer denies wrongdoing after the California attorney general’s office investigated it for inflating prescription drug costs.

Se acaba la era de las vacunas y las pruebas gratuitas contra covid. ¿Quién va a pagar?
By Julie Appleby Las personas podrán obtener estas vacunas a bajo costo o sin costo mientras duren los suministros del gobierno. Luego, dependerá de su seguro de salud.

Millones en riesgo de perder Medicaid, mientras terminan protecciones por la pandemia
By Phil Galewitz Los estados se están preparando para remover a millones de personas de Medicaid, a medida que expiran las protecciones que se implementaron al comienzo de la pandemia de covid-19.