WCOE: No Action on ACA Stabilization Bill; ‘Black Cancer Matters’; Risks of At-Home Genetic Testing; Hospital Payment Reform; and More

“Health insurers say the GOP-led Congress’ inaction on ACA stabilization legislation is sure to hurt consumers”

Individual market (stabilization) "measures would reduce premiums by 10 percent in 2019 and 20 percent in later years," @BCBSAssociation https://t.co/R5RUn8VFqe

— Bruce Japsen (@brucejapsen) March 23, 2018

Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com — After months of negotiating around an ACA stabilization package that was set to be included in this week’s spending bill, no agreement was made and the stabilization provisions were left out of the spending package all together.
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Happy Anniversary to the ACA

Defend the #ACA on its 8th anniversary. Be a #HealthCareVoter like Kimberly from North Carolina: pic.twitter.com/y7K2zKuspN

— Health Care Voter (@HealthCareVoter) March 23, 2018

This week is the 8th anniversary of the passage of the ACA. Share your story about the ACA saved your life and show our elected officials why health care matters.
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“Getting Sick Can Be Really Expensive, Even for the Insured”

https://twitter.com/sangerkatz/status/976461961624981505

Margot Sanger-Katz, New York Times — When you get really sick, the medical bills may not be your biggest financial shock.

New research shows that for a substantial fraction of Americans, a trip to the hospital can mean a permanent reduction in income. Some people bounce right back, but many never work as much again. On average, people in their 50s who are admitted to the hospital will experience a 20 percent drop in income that persists for years. Over all, income losses dwarfed the direct costs of medical care.
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“Black Cancer Matters”

Black Cancer Matters https://t.co/8hI9rt2F29

— NYTimes Well (@nytimeswell) March 15, 2018

Susan Gubar, New York Times Well Blog — Like many people, I attribute my cancer to bad luck. So the feature-length documentary “Company Town” shocked me. It contends that the economic consequences of racial discrimination increase cancer risk.
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“5 Ways to Feel Less Isolated After a Cancer Diagnosis”

5 Ways to Feel Less Isolated After a Cancer Diagnosis https://t.co/LXgyUj2Y9W

— CURE Magazine (@cure_magazine) March 17, 2018

Martha Carlson, Cure Magazine — It’s easy to become that isolated, and it can happen quickly. One day I had a life, the next day I had cancer.
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“At-home genetic testing may be convenient, but it isn’t complete”

Opinion: Genetic testing can be lifesaving, but it must come with all the facts and professional support. A mail-order kit just can't do that. https://t.co/BJi90LhFgO

— STAT (@statnews) March 18, 2018

Susan M. Domchek, STAT News — While most home-delivery conveniences are generally changing our lives for the better — giving us more time and choices — at-home genetics kits that reveal information about the risk of developing certain cancers represent a risky step in our on-demand culture.
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“340B Program Gone Awry”

Opinion: There’s mounting evidence a federal drug discount program has been exploited for profit under the guise of “doing good.” https://t.co/4dnYap6xgD

— STAT (@statnews) March 22, 2018

Elsa Pearson and Austin Frakt, STAT News — Hospitals and clinics serving high risk, high need patient populations have long benefited from a federal program called 340B that allows them to buy medicines from drug makers at a steep discount. But there’s mounting evidence that the program has been exploited.
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“Paying Hospitals to Keep People Out of Hospitals”

Great example of why we need to be smarter about right place for treatment: $30K for dialysis in hospital when clinic across the street costs only hundreds.
"Paying Hospitals To Keep People Out Of Hospitals? It Works In Maryland" https://t.co/hDrZ57bAS0 via @khnews

— Alex Nixon (@followthemoney) March 23, 2018

Jay Hancock, Kaiser Health News — Maryland essentially pays hospitals to keep people out of the hospital. Analysts often describe the change as the most far-reaching attempt in the nation to control the medical costs driving up insurance premiums and government spending.
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