The 27 Million People The Health Law Left Behind
A new analysis looks at why there are still millions of uninsured under the Affordable Care Act. In other news, the Obama administration says that steep rate increases don't actually reflect what customers can expect to pay next year and experts are pessimistic about progress that can be made in 2017 to fix the law.
Bloomberg:
Why 27 Million Are Still Uninsured Under Obamacare
One key to stabilizing the law is drawing in more of those who are uninsured, particularly the younger, healthier ones. In fact, young people are the most likely to go uninsured, according to a detailed analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The analysis shows that those who lack insurance cut across age and income and vary from state to state. Taking a look at who these people are can give clues to how the health law is falling short, and what can be done to fix it. (Diamond, Tracer and Whiteaker, 10/19)
The Wall Street Journal:
Rate Increases For Health Plans Pose Serious Test For Obama’s Signature Law
Finalized rates for big health insurance plans around the country show the magnitude of the challenge facing the Obama administration as it seeks to stabilize the insurance market under the Affordable Care Act in its remaining weeks in office. Market leaders that are continuing to sell coverage through HealthCare.gov or a state equivalent have been granted average premium increases of 30% or more in Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Mississippi and Texas, according to information published by state regulators and on a federal site designed to highlight rate increases of 10% or more. (Radnofsky, 10/18)
The Hill:
ObamaCare Experts: Don't Expect Fixes In 2017
Leading experts on healthcare policy say they’re not holding their breath for major fixes to ObamaCare in the next Congress.“ We shouldn’t hold down great expectations for significant change,” Robert Reischauer, one of two public trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds, said Tuesday. “What we should probably do is tamp down the behavior that would make things worse,” he said, referring to six years of Republican attempts to undermine the law. (Ferris, 10/18)
In other national health care news —
Modern Healthcare:
They're With Her? These Are Likely Picks For Health Posts In A Clinton White House
If Hillary Clinton wins the presidency Nov. 8, she will quickly name people to top health policy positions who are diverse in gender, race, and ethnicity, have sharp political and administrative skills, and can work in a bipartisan way, Democratic political insiders say. Some names floated as likely contenders for HHS Secretary, CMS administrator and other posts include former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Neera Tanden, Chris Jennings, Ann O'Leary, Dr. Atul Gawande, and Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey. While some hope Sylvia Mathews Burwell will continue on as secretary, that's seen as unlikely. (Meyer, 10/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Medicare Spent $359 Million On Unnecessary Chiropractic Care In 2013, Audit Finds
More than 80% of the money that Medicare paid to chiropractors in 2013 went for medically unnecessary procedures, a new federal audit found. The federal insurance program for senior citizens spent roughly $359 million on unnecessary chiropractic care that year for treatment of strains, sprains or joint conditions, a review by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General found. (Evans, 10/19)
Stat:
Primary Care Doctors Are Staying Out Of The Fight Against Opioids
The scarcity of doctors trained to deal with addiction may be particularly acute in Española, but the issue resonates in cities and towns across the country, where roughly 20,000 people die annually from opioid-related overdoses. In the face of one of the country’s most pressing and fastest-growing public health crises, few primary care doctors treat substance abuse disorders, even though they are uniquely positioned to recognize problems and help patients before it’s too late. Instead, many primary care doctors follow an old script: Refer patients to addiction centers and Narcotics Anonymous, and move on. (Tedeschi, 10/19)