The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released another series of guidance documents, this time to both providers and health plans on response strategies to COVID-19. Details on these resources follow. Protective Mask Guidance: In this guidance, CMS notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) recommendations for health care... Read More
WHG - Democratic Candidates Deliberate on Electability and Health Care Reform in Latest Primary Debate
On February 19, 2020, six Democratic candidates debated for their spot as the 2020 nominee in Las Vegas, Nevada. To qualify for the debate, candidates had to have either 10 percent or more in four national, Nevada, or South Carolina polls; have 12 percent or more in just two Nevada or South Carolina polls; or, have secured at least one... Read More
Other: Ahead of the Iowa Caucus, Six Democratic Candidates Discuss Medicare Negotiation of Drug Prices, Government Manufacture of Drugs, Medicare for All vs. Public Option
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, six Democratic candidates for President convened for the seventh and final 2020 Democratic primary debate prior to Iowa Caucus on February 3. Candidates took the stage at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, each having met the following two qualifying thresholds: (1) at least five percent in at least four DNC-approved early-state (IA, NH, NV, SC)... Read More
WHG - At December Debate, Democratic Candidates Continue Discussion on Comprehensive Health Reform; Discuss Impeachment As Well
On December 19, 2019, candidates convened again for the sixth 2020 Democratic Presidential primary debate. Seven candidates took the stage at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, each having met the threshold of securing at least 200,000 individual campaign donors, and receiving at least four percent in four DNC-approved polls. Co-hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico, the event was moderated... Read More
E&C: Subcommittee on Health Examines Universal Coverage Proposals; Medicare for All, Public Option, Medicaid Expansion and Drug Access Discussed
Today, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health convened a hearing to discuss the following legislative proposals aimed at achieving universal health care coverage: H.R. 1277, the "State Public Option Act" H.R. 1346, the "Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act of 2019" H.R. 1384, the "Medicare for All Act of 2019" H.R. 2000, the "Medicare-X Choice Act of 2019" H.R. 2452, the "Medicare for... Read More
WHG - At Fourth Democratic Presidential Primary Debate, Candidates Discuss Medicare For All, Gun Violence, Opioids, and Women's Health
On October 15, 2019, candidates convened yet again for the fourth 2020 Democratic Presidential primary debate. Twelve candidates met in Westerville, Ohio and discussed a range of issues, including the current impeachment inquiry, the potential addition of a wealth tax, foreign policy, and how to handle the emergence of monopolies in big tech. On health care specifically, candidates again discussed... Read More
CMWF: Report Examines the Costs of Comprehensive Health Reform Proposals
The Urban Institute and the Commonwealth Fund published a report comparing the health insurance reform options that policymakers have proposed to address the current problems the healthcare system faces. In their analysis, the Urban Institute and the Commonwealth Fund estimate the effects of eight health care reform options, and highlight national coverage and cost implications and how they compare to... Read More
CMWF: Health Insurance in America Survey Scans Americans' Feelings About Healthcare Ahead of the Election
The Commonwealth Fund published a survey revealing how Americans think about their health coverage heading in to the 2020 election. The Commonwealth Fund Health Insurance in American Survey interviewed a nationally representative sample of 4,914 working aged adults from March through June. Overall, Commonwealth found most adults were satisfied with their health insurance, with the Medicaid beneficiaries being the most... Read More
Other: Democratic Presidential Debate Highlights: Medicare for All and Gun Violence Addressed
Last night, the third 2020 Democratic Presidential primary debate took place in Houston, TX, featuring a narrowed 10-candidate stage. The majority of the first segment focused on Medicare for All and insurance reform, with solutions on gun violence being highlighted as well. Note that candidates qualified for the debate by garnering two percent of polling in at least four Democratic... Read More
Other: Round Two of July Democratic Debates: Medicare for All and Public Option Again Take Center Stage; Biden and Harris Defend Respective Plans
Yesterday featured the second installment of the July 2019 Democratic Presidential primary debates. Ten additional candidates took the stage in Detroit, MI for a multi-hour affair, trading blows back and forth on a series of key political topics. Primary among such topics included candidates’ plans for health care reform – taking up the near entirety of the debate’s first hour... Read More
WHG - Highlights from Night Two of the Democratic Presidential Debate: Medicare for All Takes Center Stage Again, Along With Rx Drug Pricing, Women's Health, and More
On June 27, 2019, a second set of 10 candidates took the stage for what was part two of the first series of debates for the 2020 Democratic Presidential primaries. As with the first night, candidates answered questions spanning across many key policy topics, including climate change, gun safety, immigration, and foreign policy, among others. The conversation of course included... Read More
WHG - Issue Brief: Assessing the Political Landscape and Outlook of Medicare for All
The political and public discourse around single-payer and “Medicare for All” proposals has rapidly gained momentum in 2019. Whereas in 2016, Medicare for All was championed most prominently and singularly by unsuccessful Democratic primary challenger Bernie Sanders (I-VT), in 2020 we will see nearly every Democratic presidential contender endorse a variation on the theme and will most certainly see the... Read More
House: Rules Committee Holds First Ever Hearing on Medicare For All
The House Rules Committee held the first ever hearing on Medicare for All, a prominent single-payer health care system proposal. Members, joined by an expert witness panel, engaged in a discussion to discuss the plan's viability. While many spoke to its potential benefits – most notably insurance coverage for all Americans – many were equally concerned with the high costs... Read More
Senate: Democrats Reintroduce Medicare-X Choice Act of 2019
Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) reintroduced a revised version of the Medicare X Choice Act of 2019 – a bill that would establish a federal public plan option made available in both individual and small business exchanges (press release; summary; text). A public plan option would be made available incrementally beginning 20201 – first in areas where... Read More
HELP: Leaders Release Bipartisan Discussion Draft to Address Opioid Epidemic; Stakeholder Comment Sought by April 11
Bipartisan leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee posted a discussion draft of the Opioid Crisis Response Act (release; text; one-pager), which addresses multiple agencies’ ability to respond to the opioid epidemic. The Committee says the legislation draws on ideas presented at six bipartisan hearings at which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of... Read More
House: HHS Secretary Azar Testifies on FY 2019 Budget Request at House Appropriations Subcommittee; Opioids, Drug Costs, Medicare Appeals Backlog, CMMI Discussed
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Ed) held a hearing on HHS’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Budget Request. HHS Secretary Alex Azar engaged Members on the Administration’s priorities, such as addressing opioid addiction, and fielded their questions on topics ranging from drug costs to Medicare appeals backlog and research on gun... Read More
WHG - Legislative and Regulatory Outlook 2018
Wynne Health Group has released its Legislative and Regulatory Outlook document for 2018. The document, updated for calendar year (CY) 2018, reflects a compendium of the significant healthcare regulations expected, as well as key Congressional dates and Administration-driven deadlines... Read More
HHS: $144 Million Awarded to State and Local Agencies to Prevent and Treat Opioid Addiction
This morning, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the award of $144.1 million to 58 state, local, and community-based grantees to continue the battle against opioid addiction, in accordance with Secretary Tom Prices’ five-point framework for prevention, treatment and recovery services. The funds will be disbursed under six separate grant programs listed below, the first four of... Read More
Health Affairs: How a New Administration Could Stabilize the ACA Exchanges: Lessons from Medicare Advantage
According to Corlette & Hoadley, close to 50 percent of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans cancelled their contracts between 1998 and 2002, causing between 300,000 and 1,000,000 Medicare beneficiaries annually to lose their private plans. They draw a comparison between this period for MA and the current health plan exits from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges. They identify four... Read More
CDC: CDC Makes Progress in Preventing Zika Infections in South Florida
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to work with officials in Miami-Dade County to prevent the spread of new Zika virus infections in the county. The CDC reports that it has evidence that its response is working. For instance, Miami-Dade County officials interrupted the spread of Zika virus through a comprehensive pest management program. The CDC will... Read More
Urban: Brief: Policy Considerations for Designing a Medicare Buy-In and a Public Plan Marketplace Option
In this brief, Blumberg & Holahan explore design issues raised by Medicare buy-in and public option proposals and their implications for costs and benefits to different age groups. As noted in the paper, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has indicated interest in a Medicare buy-in option for those ages 55 to 64 and a public plan option for the ACA’s Marketplaces... Read More
CDC: Agency Awards $13M to Establish First Vector Control Unit in Puerto Rico
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced that it has awarded $13 million to the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust (ST&R Trust) to establish the first Vector Control Unit in Puerto Rico. The agency press release states that the Vector Control Unit will "oversee and implement comprehensive mosquito control activities to help prevent and manage... Read More
CDC: Agency Awards $2.4 Million to Five Major U.S. Cities to Fight Zika
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the award of $2.4 million to Chicago, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles County to “establish, enhance, and maintain information-gathering systems to rapidly detect microcephaly–a serious birth defect of the brain–and other adverse outcomes linked to Zika virus infection.”... Read More
Health Affairs: Viewpoint: National Insurer Withdrawal from ACA Marketplace is 'No Big Deal'
In this blog post, author Jon Kingsdale seeks to put the recent departure of Aetna and other major insurers from the ACA marketplaces “in perspective.” He argues that most medical insurance companies are regional non-profits (such as the state or local Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, Kaiser Permanente, and HIP) or Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), are generally better positioned... Read More