Medicaid Archives - Page 34 of 93

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: 2020 in Review — It Wasn’t All COVID

The coronavirus pandemic colored just about everything in 2020. But there was other health policy news that you either never heard or might have forgotten about: the Affordable Care Act going before the Supreme Court with its survival on the line; ditto for Medicaid work requirements. And a surprise ending to the “surprise bill” saga. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Dec. 23, 2020

Trump Plan May Set Clock Ticking on Many Health Rules — Setting Off Alarms

The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed that the new administration review about 2,400 regulations that affect tens of millions of Americans, on everything from Medicare benefits to prescription drug approvals. Those not analyzed within two years would become void.

By Phil Galewitz

Dec. 10, 2020

California Lawmakers to Newsom: Give All Immigrants Health Coverage

Given the pandemic’s disproportionate hit on minority communities, two Democratic lawmakers are pushing Newsom to agree to offer health care to all unauthorized immigrants. They planned to unveil legislation Monday — and a new strategy to make it happen.

By Angela Hart

Dec. 7, 2020

Asking Never Hurts

Medicare Open Enrollment Is Complicated. Here’s How to Get Good Advice.

It’s a complex program with many options — as well as confusing rules and nuances. Here’s how to get reliable guidance.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

Nov. 24, 2020

Florida’s New Hospital Industry Head Ran Medicaid in State and Fought Expansion

The state’s hospital association in September picked Mary Mayhew to be its new CEO. While leading the state Medicaid office, she was a vocal critic of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion program.

By Phil Galewitz

Nov. 20, 2020

Patients Struggle to Find Prescription Opioids After NY Tax Drives Out Suppliers

The tax was touted as a way to generate funding for treatment programs across the state. But to avoid paying, scores of manufacturers and wholesalers stopped selling opioids in New York.

By Anastassia Gliadkovskaya

Nov. 17, 2020

Red States’ Case Against ACA Hinges on Whether They Were Actually Harmed by the Law

The Republican-led states are trying to prove they were harmed by the 2010 health law — and thus have “legal standing” — because their Medicaid costs increased, even though Congress eliminated the penalty for not having health coverage in 2019. At least one justice was skeptical.

By Phil Galewitz

Nov. 16, 2020

Elections

A Biden Win and Republican Senate Might Lead to Gridlock on Health Issues

If Democrat Joe Biden is successful in his bid for the presidency but the Senate remains in GOP control, Democrats’ plans for major changes in health care may be curbed.

By Julie Rovner

Nov. 4, 2020

Elections

California’s Progressive — and Expensive — Health Care Ambitions Rely on Biden Win

There couldn’t be more at stake for California’s Democratic health care agenda in the presidential race. State lawmakers are already penning big-ticket legislation they hope to pursue should Democrat Joe Biden win, from single-payer to a new wealth tax.

By Angela Hart

Nov. 2, 2020

KHN & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Sen. Graham Complains That 3 Blue States Get a Third of ACA Funding

Sen. Lindsey Graham insinuates that the law is sending a disproportionate amount of money to New York, California and Massachusetts, all represented by Democrats.

By Phil Galewitz

Oct. 29, 2020

The Trump Medicaid Record: Big Goals, Yet Few Successes

The Trump administration sought to shrink the federal-state health program for low-income Americans and give states more flexibility. But Democrats and the courts thwarted most of those efforts.

By Phil Galewitz

Oct. 29, 2020

Florida Fails to Attract Bidders for Canada Drug Importation Program

No private firms bid on the $30 million contract to set up and operate the state’s plan to bring in cheaper drugs. The setback is likely to delay by at least several months Florida’s effort to become the first state to import drugs under new federal regulations.

By Phil Galewitz

Oct. 26, 2020

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Little Good News and Some Bad on COVID-19

Glimmers of hope are beginning to appear in the fight against the coronavirus, such as a decreasing death rate. But there’s not-so-good news, too, including a push for “herd immunity,” which could result in millions more deaths. Meanwhile, the Trump administration doubles down on work requirements for Medicaid. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Oct. 22, 2020

Refuge in the Storm? ACA’s Role as Safety Net Is Tested by COVID Recession

Relentlessly knocked around by politics and now headed again to the Supreme Court, the ACA is covering millions who have lost their jobs during the pandemic. But not everyone.

By Steven Findlay

Oct. 7, 2020

Not Pandemic-Proof: Insulin Copay Caps Fall Short, Fueling Underground Exchanges

Although sharing prescription medicines is illegal, many people with diabetes are turning to underground donation networks when they cannot afford their insulin. Caps on insulin copays enacted in Colorado and 11 other states were designed to help. But the gaps between insulin costs and many patients’ financial realities are only widening amid the economic crisis of the COVID pandemic.

By Markian Hawryluk

Oct. 5, 2020

Promises Kept? On Health Care, Trump’s Claims of ‘Monumental Steps’ Don’t Add Up

The president entered office seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act, revamp Medicaid and drive down prescription drug prices, among other things. He’s hit some stone walls.

By Julie Rovner and Phil Galewitz

Sept. 28, 2020

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: It’s Scandal Week

President Donald Trump this week issued a prescription drug pricing order unlikely to lower drug prices, and he contradicted comments by his director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the need for mask-wearing and predictions for vaccine availability. Meanwhile, scandals erupted at the CDC, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration. And the number of people without health insurance grew in 2019, reported the Census Bureau, even while the economy soared. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Sept. 17, 2020

COVID-19

Urban Hospitals of Last Resort Cling to Life in Time of COVID

Rural hospitals have been closing at a quickening pace in recent years, but a number of inner-city hospitals now face a similar fate. Experts fear that the economic damage inflicted by the COVID pandemic is helping push some of these urban hospitals over the edge at the very time their services are most needed.

By Jordan Rau and Emmarie Huetteman

Sept. 17, 2020