Editor's Note CMS has taken the next steps in making prescription drugs more affordable for Medicare recipients, according to an October 9 report from The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The proposed Medicare $2 Drug List Model, developed in line with President Biden’s Executive Order 14087, aims…

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Editor's Note The October 1 vice presidential debate showcased sharp divisions between the candidates on healthcare policy, focusing primarily on the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and reproductive rights. A summary published October 2 in Stat details how Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) proposed changes that could allow insurers…

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Editor's Note The healthcare portion of the September 10 debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris focused on two issues: abortion and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Becker’s Hospital Review published key takeaways from the exchange September 11. According to the article, Trump reiterated that the…

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Editor's Note More than 700 rural hospitals, representing 31% of all rural hospitals in the country, are at risk of closure, according to a report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform. Chief Healthcare Executive reported the news August 8. According to the article, 16% of all rural…

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Editor's Note Medicare’s first negotiations on 10 top-selling prescription drugs for older Americans will save the US government $6 billion in the first year, according to an August 15 article in Reuters. Enabled by President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, negotiations for drugs used by Medicare—which covers 66 million…

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Editor's Note The Affordable Care Act , abortion and contraception, LBGTQ health, prescription drug prices—presidential candidates Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, have vastly different positions these and other healthcare issues. KFF Health News has published a detailed comparison in the form of a side-by-side…

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Editor's Note As Governor of Minnesota, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz backed off on nurse staffing ratios as well as healthcare affordability after Mayo Clinic—which is based in the state—raised objections, Managed Healthcare Executive reported August 6. Citing earlier reports from Politico and the Star Tribune on various aspects of…

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Editor's Note Nearly half of Americans struggle to afford health care and prescription medications, according to the latest Healthcare Affordability Index from West Health and Gallup. Newsweek reported on the findings July 17. Based on polling of 5,149 adults, the index shows a decline in affordability by six points since…

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Editor's Note As the Republican National Convention meets in Milwaukee to nominate Donald Trump, the party is not expected to unveil a detailed healthcare platform. However, a July 15 report in Modern Healthcare covers what plans and past records reveal about the potential direction of health policy under a GOP…

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Editor's Note Designed to address high rates of preventable medical errors, a new initiative from The National Quality Form (NQF), an affiliate of The Joint Commission, will modernize criteria for what constitutes a Serious Reportable Event (SRE) and align standards for reporting such events across different accountability systems. Dubbed “Focus…

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