Healthcare Reform and the ACA News

• WHO Urges Surveillance for People at Risk From Heatwaves The World Health Organization has urged governments and local authorities to set up a strong surveillance system for people who are most at risk of severe symptoms from a heatwave that is baking the northern hemisphere.
  Reuters Health Information, July 19, 2023
• Study Examines Burden of Vitiligo in the US Prior population-based prevalence estimates of vitiligo vary because of differences in study design and data collection methods, the authors note.
  Medscape Medical News, July 19, 2023
• US Mammogram Update Sparks Concern, Reignites Debates USPSTF's update of recommendations on breast cancer screening is drawing calls for broader insurance coverage of mammograms, while reviving debates about frequency and testing approaches.
  Medscape Medical News, July 19, 2023
• COVID Aid Drove Record Hospital Profits, Researchers Find Some hospitals could have weathered the financial challenges of the pandemic without government-provided relief funding, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum.
  Medscape Medical News, July 19, 2023
• Independent Risk Factors for 'Deaths of Despair' Identified Income inequality and lack of social mobility are independently associated with so-called "deaths of despair" among working-age Americans.
  Medscape Medical News, July 18, 2023
• When Did Medicine Become a Battleground for Everything? Hot-button issues in medicine aren’t new, but with the rise in misinformation and politicization of care, healthcare professionals face new challenges.
  Medscape Medical News, July 18, 2023
• New Global Initiative Aims to Reform Cancer Trials and Care A group of oncologists, academics, and patient advocates have officially launched Common Sense Oncology — a new patient-centered movement in cancer care.
  Medscape Medical News, July 18, 2023
• UK Councils Call for Ban on Disposable Vapes by 2024 Councils in England and Wales have called on the UK government to ban the sale of single use vapes by 2024 on both environmental and health grounds.
  Reuters Health Information, July 15, 2023
• Medicare Base Pay Cut Announcement Spurs Calls for Reform Medicare's draft 2024 physician fee schedule shows overall payment rates dropping by 1.25% at a time of rising inflation. The rule proposes policy changes to aid in treatment of chronic conditions.
  Medscape Medical News, July 14, 2023
• APCs Providing More Dermatologic Care for Medicare Patients "By 2020, more than one in four dermatology visits for patients with Medicare were delivered by APCs," study authors reported.
  MDedge News, July 14, 2023
• Biden's Junk Fee Crusade Turns to Short-Term Insurance Plans President Joe Biden on Friday announced new steps to crack down on short-term health insurance plans and surprise medical bills, stepping up his war against so-called junk fees to lower healthcare costs.
  Reuters Health Information, July 07, 2023
• Does Racial Bias Taint the Apgar Score? Recently, the venerable system has increasingly come under fire for colorism and racial bias, with some calling for an overhaul. The controversy stems from the 2 points allotted for an overall 'pink' skin tone.
  MDedge News, July 07, 2023
• Patients Squeezed: Who Gets to Bill for Infusion Drugs To drive down costs, insurers are bypassing hospital system pharmacies and delivering high-priced infusion drugs, including some used in chemotherapy, via third-party pharmacies.
  KFF Health News, July 05, 2023
• How Small Practices Are Surviving and Thriving, Part 1 Small-town, rural, and small practices struggle with a variety of challenges, from private equity looking to scoop them up, to a lack of resources and new recruits. How are they surviving?
  Medscape Medical News, July 05, 2023
• Indiana's Top Court Allows Near-Total Abortion Ban The Indiana Supreme Court upheld a law banning nearly all abortions in the state, lifting a lower court order that had blocked the law in response to a lawsuit by various abortion providers.
  Reuters Health Information, June 30, 2023
• Family Docs Provide Most Care for Several Chronic Diseases Family and primary care physicians are a major source of care for managing chronic diseases but are often left out of the creation of clinical guidelines.
  Medscape Medical News, July 03, 2023
• Take 2: CMS Launches Successor to the Oncology Care Model On Saturday, CMS will launch the Enhancing Oncology Model, the second major project focused on improving quality and access to cancer care while lowering spending.
  Medscape Medical News, June 30, 2023
• CDC Signs Off on RSV Vaccine for Older Adults The new vaccines, the first licensed in the US to protect against the respiratory illness, are expected to be available this fall.
  WebMD Health News, June 30, 2023
• Medicaid Expansion Tied to Better Cardiac Coverage, Outcomes Medicaid expansion is associated with better insurance coverage of cardiac treatments for recipients, better out-of-hospital cardiac outcomes, and some improvement in preventive care and screening.
  Medscape Medical News, June 27, 2023
• Canadian Experts Call for Collecting Race and Ethnicity Data Collecting racial and Indigenous identity data may help reduce health disparities, but caution is needed to avoid further harm, according to health professionals.
  Medscape Medical News, June 26, 2023