PBS NewsHour Explores The Growing Need for Better Access to Dental Care and Dental Therapist Solution
This week, PBS’ NewsHour highlighted that millions of Americans go without dental care and also profiled how alternative dental providers, known as dental therapists, have improved access to care in Alaska and have the potential to do the same in the lowe
FDA to Evaluate Safety of Common Contraceptives —Women Call for Crucial Data and Disclosure
In less than a month, the FDA will convene a scientific panel to evaluate emerging evidence that some of the most commonly used contraceptives – Beyaz,Gianvi, Loryna, Ocella, Safyral, Syeda, Yasmin, Yaz, Zarah, -- have greater risks than other similar pro
First Quarter: Supreme Court Ready to Tackle the ACA
The awaited day is here. The Supreme Court announced that it will hear the case against the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual responsibility requirement (and other related requests). For those immersed in football season, this is the Super Bowl of le
Communities Create a Roadmap to Health
When you think about improving the health of people in your community, what comes to mind? Improving access to and the quality of medical services? Yes. Increasing access to recreation opportunities or nutritious food? For sure. Cleaning the air or water?
Basic Health Program: Putting the “Affordable” in the Affordable Care Act
Last week, Community Catalyst submitted comments to HHS about the Basic Health Program (BHP) option in the Affordable Care Act (ACA.) While there are many reasons to be enthusiastic about BHP, its potential to dramatically lower health care costs for some
Medicaid and State Budgets: Same As It Ever Was?
Kaiser Family Foundation released a report last week, detailing results from a 50-state survey of Medicaid budgets. Kaiser’s results tell a classic story known as The Life and Times of a Countercyclical Program. Those of us who work in Medicaid policy hav
NAIC Commissioner’s Fall Back on Medical Loss Ratio
You know that expression, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”? Well, it came to mind this past week at the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s (NAIC) fall meeting in Washington, DC. Just as in March, during the NAIC’s spr
Where's the Sunshine?
Things are getting colder here in New England, and we’d been hoping for a little more Sunshine in October. That’s when HHS was supposed to issue rules implementing the Physician Payment Sunshine provisions of health reform.
The urgency was summed up by co
The Insider: News Round Up
File Under: “…and don’t let the door hit you on the way out”
Recently, two Florida insurers announced their intention to quit the non-group health insurance market in that state. The state of Florida is trying to use the exit to bolster its case for a wai