Tag Archive for: health care roundup
Coronavirus and Cancer Resources for Survivors
Cancer survivors have expressed concerns and questions about COVID-19, the coronavirus, and how they may be at higher risk due to their cancer history. Here are some resources about COVID-19 generally, and its impact for cancer survivors specifically. NCCS is seeking answers from public health experts on the coronavirus and its impact on cancer patients and survivors. Please leave a comment [...]
Health Care Roundup: Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness; More on “Junk Insurance;” Reviewing Effects of California’s Surprise Billing Law; More
Ads Offering Bare-Bones Coverage are Everywhere – This Axios article highlights the growing trend of plans being advertised across the internet as “Trumpcare” plans. The problem? “Trumpcare doesn’t exist, and many of these advertised plans offer bare-bones coverage.” "It's impossible to expect consumers to discern between the good guys and the con artists," said Sabrina Corlette, a health insurance researcher at Georgetown University. "And [...]
Health Care Roundup: Cokie Roberts; Survivorship in the News; Junk Insurance Doesn’t Cover the Bills; Seeking Help and Encouragement; More
Tennessee became the first state in the country to release a plan proposing to block grant its Medicaid program. Currently, the federal government pays each state “a certain percentage of the cost of care for anyone eligible for health coverage.” If changed to a block grant program, the federal government would “instead pay a state a lump sum each year while freeing it from many of Medicaid’s rules, including who must be allowed into [...]
Health Care Roundup: What President Trump’s Health Care Plan Might Include; Recurrence Anxiety; Are There Too Many NCI Cancer Centers?; More
In August, we noted that President Trump and other members of his administration mentioned that they intend to unveil a substantial health care plan later this month. As we await the details of that plan, we wanted to share this Kaiser Health News article that examines what such a plan may, or may not, include. Congress returns to Washington next week, after the August recess. We will monitor and report on Congressional action on policy [...]
Health Care Roundup: Cancer Care Planning Bill Introduced; Drug Pricing Measures Advance; Rural Hospitals Struggling in States that Did Not Expand Medicaid; More
On July 23, the Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act (CCPCA), H.R. 3835, was reintroduced in the House of Representatives. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) and Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), co-chairs of the Congressional Cancer Survivors Caucus. The CCPCA is NCCS’ top legislative priority as it would increase access to comprehensive cancer care planning for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. If implemented in Medicare [...]
Health Care Roundup: ACA Lawsuit Update; Chronic Pain Study; “Have Cancer, Must Travel;” “Survivorship Issues Reshape a Researcher’s Career;” More
Last week, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard arguments in the Texas v. United States case that has the potential to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Two judges asked pointed questions that seemed sympathetic to the case against the ACA. While this is disheartening for cancer patients who rely so heavily on the ACA, observers from Kaiser Health News and others cautioned that a long road remains [...]
Health Care Roundup: Medicaid Work Requirement Studies; Care Coordination/Planning; Financial & Emotional Distress; Cancer in Firefighters; More
New ACA Replacement Plan? – This week, President Trump hinted at his intention to introduce a new health care plan. Health care remains a very popular political issue among most voters. With widespread reports saying that many Republicans in Congress would rather not make health care or Affordable Care Act (ACA) replacement a top issue in the upcoming elections, it will be interesting to see whether the president follows through in the months ahead. [...]
Health Care Roundup: ACA Erased Key Racial Cancer Disparity; ‘Survivor’ Debate; Isolation in Survivorship; Remembering Two Cancer Pioneers; More
Today marks one year since the Trump administration announced it would not defend the ACA and that the entire law should be struck down, including protections for pre-existing conditions. In just one month, oral arguments are scheduled in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. New research released last week at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting shows that the ACA’s Medicaid expansion reduced racial disparities [...]
Health Care Roundup: Executive Order on Price Transparency; Coping with Cancer; New Data on Cancer Disparities; US Health Spending; More
Executive Order on Price Transparency — This week, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is preparing an executive order that would require insurers and hospitals to disclose negotiated discounted rates for services. The executive order is intended to foster greater price transparency across a broad swath of the health-care industry as consumer concerns about medical costs emerge as a major issue in the lead-up [...]
Health Care Roundup: House Passes Health Care Bill; Celebrating a Cancerversary; Palliative Care; Cutting Racial Disparities; More
The biggest health care bill of this session made it out of the House and is headed to the Senate, after a party-line vote late Thursday. The bill contains proposals to lower prescription drug prices and to help shore up the Affordable Care Act (ACA), making it politically tricky. It is unlikely that the bill will pass a Republican-controlled Senate. As Politico reports, “The move is likely to force most Republicans to sink the package and go on record [...]
Health Care Roundup: Kaiser Health Insurance Survey; House Holds Medicare-for-All Hearing; CBO Analysis of Health Subsidies; More
Kaiser/LA Times Health Insurance Survey – Kaiser Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Times released results of a poll of people with employer-based health insurance and found that overall, most people with employer coverage feel generally satisfied with their insurance, but those with high deductibles or chronic conditions report facing affordability challenges. Those individuals with higher deductibles were more likely to skip or postpone [...]