Simple Choice Option Lets ACA Shoppers Make Apples-To-Apples Comparisons Between Plans
Officials say the new option will simplify shopping under the Affordable Care Act by reducing variation among plans.
The New York Times:
HealthCare.Gov Will Add ‘Simple Choice’ Plans In Effort To Improve Value
When the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace opens in two weeks, many consumers will have a new option for the law’s fourth open-enrollment period: standardized health plans that cover basic services without a deductible. With many health plans on the marketplace coming with deductibles in the thousands of dollars, consumers have complained that they were getting little benefit beyond coverage for catastrophic problems. The new standardized options are meant to address that concern — to ensure that “enrollees receive some upfront value for their premium dollars,” as the Obama administration said. (Pear, 10/17)
In other national health care news —
Stat:
3 Big Projects The White House Cancer Moonshot Is Pursuing
Liquid biopsies. A “groundbreaking” Defense Department study. Partnerships with Lyft and Uber for patient transportation. The White House’s cancer moonshot, the future of which Vice President Joe Biden outlined in a new report on Monday, has a lot of moving parts. The report details nearly 20 projects that are already underway or soon will be in the moonshot’s first year and another two dozen planned for its second year and beyond. Major themes include harnessing big data, sharing research among scientists, and expanding preventive measures like the HPV vaccine and colorectal cancer screening. (Scott, 10/17)
The Associated Press:
Pfizer To Launch Cheaper Version Of J&J Immune Drug Remicade
Drugmaker Pfizer said Monday that it will launch a less-expensive version of rival Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster immune disorder drug, Remicade. Pfizer Inc.’s version, called Inflectra, will hit pharmacies in late November. It will be only the second so-called biosimilar drug available in the U.S. (Johnson, 10/17)
The Washington Post:
Pepsi Wants To Make Its Sodas Better For You — Eventually
PepsiCo says its going to lessen the sugar in its sugary drinks. PepsiCo chief executive Indra Nooyi said Monday that at least two-thirds of the company’s beverages will contain 100 calories or less per 12-ounce serving by 2025. Nooyi said the beverage giant will focus on selling more low- or zero-calorie products. Advances in technology and artificial sweeteners are creating soft drinks that better duplicate the taste of sugary drinks but with fewer calories. (Heath, 10/17)
Stat:
Night Sweats, Bloody Cough — And A Diagnosis That Turned A Doctor Into An Activist
TB remains rare in the US: there are just three cases per 100,000 people. And the increase in 2015 is proportional to population growth. Still, experts are worried. The last time we saw such an uptick in the raw number of annual cases was in 1992, the worst year of a TB resurgence linked to big cuts in public health budgets and the spread of HIV, which destroys immune systems. Each case of TB creates a monumental amount of work. Public health officials have to track down and test everyone who may have been exposed. They also have to monitor each patient to make sure they’re swallowing their daily handful of toxic pills. If the patients don’t complete treatment, the bacteria that cause TB could become drug-resistant. But some experts worry that the public health infrastructure can no longer handle the caseload. (Boodman, 10/18)