A group of Democrats has introduced bicameral legislation to ban private equity from owning medical practices as increasingly widespread corporate ownership continues driving up health care costs each year. The bill was introduced Wednesday by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) with the support of 12 other members of the Senate and House. The legislation was based on a law in Oregon…
Source
The investigative outlet Sludge published an analysis on Monday showing that the health insurance industry is among the corporate donors to Third Way, a think tank that is reportedly preparing to pour $15 million into an effort to combat the rise of candidates who support Medicare for All and other progressive policies. Third Way, which has long been hostile to the progressive wing of the…
Source
One year after the Trump administration announced that dozens of health insurers had signed a six-part pledge promising to reduce barriers to doctor-recommended care, some insurers now say they won’t implement all the promised initiatives. Meanwhile, patients, their advocates, and clinicians say little has improved. “It has never been this bad for patients,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (R…
Source
Seasonal work. Inconsistent hours. Frequent moves. Cash payments and informal jobs. For farmworkers who rely on Medicaid, these common employment patterns could put their health coverage at risk. It’s a heightened concern for the estimated million-plus farmworkers who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, as new work requirements kick in for the federal-state healthcare program that…
Source
For 16 years, Larry Gruber, a fitness coach from Wilton Manors, Florida, received a coupon card to help him pay for a psoriatic arthritis medication he needs that costs more than $7,700 a month. Each year, Amgen, which makes the drug, called Enbrel, sent the coupon card worth thousands of dollars, and that counted toward Gruber’s health insurance deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
Source
We are in a health care crisis. Our system of care is beyond dysfunctional, driven by profit, and unable to serve the Americans who are the most vulnerable. In my congressional district, Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), the state’s largest safety net hospital, narrowly avoided closure last month after the Minnesota legislature reached a one-time funding deal to bring it back from the…
Source