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📢 URGENT: Protect Medicaid for Millions of People with Medicare

Medicare Watch

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Move to Help Medicare Beneficiaries Afford Insulin Does Not Go Far Enough

This week, the Trump administration announced a new two-year demonstration program that will reduce insulin costs for some people with Medicare drug coverage. The lower costs will no doubt be welcomed by the 1.3 million enrollees who stand to benefit, and we applaud this help. However, we are disappointed that this initiative will not offer relief to all who need it or address larger issues around prescription drug access and affordability.

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Medicaid Needs Additional Funding to Avoid Cuts in Services During Coronavirus Pandemic and After

This month, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released a brief that discusses early trends in Medicaid spending and enrollment resulting from the economic and health impacts of the coronavirus public health emergency. The numbers KFF found show how important it is to bolster Medicaid funding quickly to avoid cuts in important services for older adults and people with disabilities.

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Short-Term Health Insurance Plans Are an Especially Risky Option During the Coronavirus Pandemic

A recent analysis from The Commonwealth Fund highlights the problems consumers with “short-term” health plans may face during the coronavirus emergency. Over the past few years, the Trump administration has expanded access to short-term health plans that are not required to adhere to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) consumer protections or insurance regulations. This non-compliance allows short-term plans to charge premiums based on health status, decline coverage for pre-existing conditions, impose annual or lifetime limits, and exclude coverage for the essential health benefits.

Read More »

Move to Help Medicare Beneficiaries Afford Insulin Does Not Go Far Enough

This week, the Trump administration announced a new two-year demonstration program that will reduce insulin costs for some people with Medicare drug coverage. The lower costs will no doubt be welcomed by the 1.3 million enrollees who stand to benefit, and we applaud this help. However, we are disappointed that this initiative will not offer relief to all who need it or address larger issues around prescription drug access and affordability.

Short-Term Health Insurance Plans Are an Especially Risky Option During the Coronavirus Pandemic

A recent analysis from The Commonwealth Fund highlights the problems consumers with “short-term” health plans may face during the coronavirus emergency. Over the past few years, the Trump administration has expanded access to short-term health plans that are not required to adhere to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) consumer protections or insurance regulations. This non-compliance allows short-term plans to charge premiums based on health status, decline coverage for pre-existing conditions, impose annual or lifetime limits, and exclude coverage for the essential health benefits.