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Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Seeking to Shift Costs to Medicare, More Employers Move Retirees to Advantage Plans

KFF Health News Original

Private and public employers are increasingly using the government’s Medicare Advantage program as an alternative to their existing retiree health plan and traditional Medicare coverage. As a result, the federal government is paying the “overwhelming majority” of medical costs, according to an industry analyst.

Plan to Fix Postal Service Shifts New Retirees to Medicare — Along With Billions in Costs

KFF Health News Original

After a years-long bitter partisan fight over reforming the U.S. Postal Service’s finances and service, congressional leaders say they have a compromise. The bill, which has won endorsements from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, would force future Postal Service retirees to use Medicare as their primary source of health coverage.

Changes to Medi-Cal’s Troubled Drug Program Reduce Backlog in California, but Problems Persist

KFF Health News Original

After a troubled start to the new Medi-Cal prescription drug program, the state’s contractor has hired staffers to reduce wait times for medication approvals and patients seeking help. But some doctors and clinics report that patients continue to face delays.

‘Injections, Injections, Injections’: Troubling Questions Follow Closure of Sprawling Pain Clinic Chain

KFF Health News Original

In May 2021, Lags Medical Centers, one of California’s largest chains of pain clinics, abruptly closed its doors amid a cloaked state investigation. Nine months later, patients are still in the dark about what happened with their care and to their bodies.

Missouri Takes Months to Process Medicaid Applications — Longer Than Law Allows

KFF Health News Original

Missouri has more people waiting to have their Medicaid applications processed than it has approved since the expansion of the federal-state health insurance program. Although most states process Medicaid applications within a week, Missouri is taking, on average, more than two months. Patient advocates fear that means people will stay uninsured longer, leading them to postpone care or get stuck with high medical bills.

What Are Taxpayers Spending for Those ‘Free’ Covid Tests? The Government Won’t Say.

KFF Health News Original

Inquiries lead from one federal office to the next, with no clear answers. At one Army Contracting Command, a protocol office employee says that “voicemail has been down for months.” And the email address listed for fielding media inquiries? “The army stopped using the email address about eight years ago.”

Skirmish Between Biden and Red States Over Medicaid Leaves Enrollees in the Balance

KFF Health News Original

The Biden administration is getting rid of several policies implemented by Trump-era appointees that restricted enrollment. Federal officials now say states can no longer charge premiums to low-income residents enrolled in Medicaid and have ruled out work requirements.

‘Somebody Is Gonna Die’: Medi-Cal Patients Struggle to Fill Prescriptions

KFF Health News Original

Problems with California’s new Medicaid prescription drug program are preventing thousands of patients from getting their medications, including some life-saving ones. State officials say they’re working on fixes.

Health Care Paradox: Medicare Penalizes Dozens of Hospitals It Also Gives Five Stars

KFF Health News Original

Among the 764 hospitals hit with a 1% reduction in Medicare payments this year for having high numbers of patient infections and avoidable complications are more than three dozen that Medicare also ranks as among the best in the country.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: Know Your ‘No Surprises’ Rights

KFF Health News Original

The No Surprises Act protects patients from surprise out-of-network bills. But there are caveats. For instance, these protections apply only to care in a hospital. This episode breaks it all down.

Faxes and Snail Mail: Will Pandemic-Era Flaws Unleash Improved Health Technology?

KFF Health News Original

The covid-19 pandemic exposed how state and local governments’ severely outdated technology can hinder unemployment benefits, food stamps, Medicaid, vaccine registrations, and the flow of other critical information. Now, with hefty federal pandemic relief and unexpected tax windfalls, states may finally have the chance to revamp their information technology for health care and social services. But can they?