Medicare Medicaid Category

Medicare & Medicaid

News articles in this section include actions by federal regulators like the CMS and HHS, as well as information on Medicare and state Medicaid coverage and benefits.

The ACA’s Future Hangs In The Balance

The Supreme Court case in which the Justices consider whether the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional without the Individual Mandate will see a judicial decision any day now. If the court decides to strike down the law, nearly 30 million Americans will lose healthcare coverage and nearly 1.2 million would lose their jobs, according to data from ...

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Doctor on Call? Lawmakers Debate How Much to Pay for Phone Appointments

It took covid-19 to give millions of Americans the option of telling their doctor about their aches and pains by phone. But now that more doctors and patients are returning to in-person appointments, policymakers across the country are divided over how much taxpayer money to keep spending on phone appointments. Although they were a lifeline ...

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To Curb Drug Prices, Democrats Still Seeking A Balance

Democrats are committed to passing legislation this year to curb prescription drug prices, but they’re still disagreeing on how to cut costs for patients and taxpayers while preserving profits that lure investors to back potentially promising treatments. It boils down to finding a balance: How big a stick should Medicare have to negotiate prices with ...

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Sisolak Signs Public-Option Health Care Bill

Gov. Steve Sisolak signed several public health-related bills, including state Democrats’ signature legislation establishing Nevada as only the second state in the nation to offer a public health insurance option, during ceremony Wednesday in Las Vegas.

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Industry Awaits Supreme Court Decision On ACA Case

Once again, the healthcare industry will be closely watching the Supreme Court on Thursday to see whether the high court delivers an opinion in the controversial case that could overturn the Affordable Care Act, throwing coverage for millions into question.

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Becerra Pledges To Offer Providers Guidance And Flexibility On June 30 COVID-19 Relief Fund Deadline

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said guidance is coming to help providers meet a June 30 deadline to spend all their COVID-19 relief funds but didn’t endorse an extension that several groups have called for.

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New Alzheimer’s Drug Could Blow Up Health Spending

Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s treatment could be experts’ nightmare drug spending scenario: An extremely expensive product that millions of desperate patients could be eligible for — and it may not even work. Why it matters: Alzheimer’s is a devastatingly common disease with no cure. But the FDA’s decision this week paved the way for a free-for-all in ...

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The Health Insurance Public Option Might Be Fizzling. The Left Is OK With That.

When President Barack Obama abandoned a public insurance option to win moderate support for the Affordable Care Act in 2009, progressives were enraged. A decade later, Joe Biden campaigned on making the public option a reality, but so far, he's done little to get Congress to enact one.

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How Will Insurers Cover A New Alzheimer’s Drug?

Federal regulators have approved the first new drug for Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 20 years, leaving patients waiting to see how insurers will handle the pricey new treatment. Health care experts expect broad coverage of the drug, which was approved Monday. But what that means for patients will vary widely depending on their insurance plan. ...

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Prescription Drug Prices Top Public’s Health Care Priorities

Key Findings * The latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds majorities of the public saying many current health care proposals being discussed by lawmakers are important priorities for Congress to focus on in the coming months, and few (less than one five) saying each of the health priorities “should not be done.” While majorities of ...

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