Trump Administration Reverses Plans to Expand Medicare Coverage for Obesity Drugs The Trump administration has officially halted a Biden-era initiative that aimed to extend Medicare and Medicaid coverage to include obesity drugs, a move set to impact millions of Americans coping with obesity, disproportionately affecting seniors and lower-income groups. While supporters saw the proposed expansion as a progressive step towards tackling one of the nation’s most pressing health challenges, critics have raised concerns over the potential cost burden. Below, we untangle the implications of this decision, exploring its economic, medical,…
Read MoreTag: Medicaid coverage
Health insurance gone for 24,000 kids on Kansas Medicaid
As the state continues its “unwinding review”, thousands of children have lost coverage The massive Medicaid “unwinding” review in Kansas has resulted in a massive number of children losing their health insurance coverage from the state program. Almost half of those who lost coverage were kids In fact, estimates show 47 percent of those who lost their health insurance following the Kansas Medicaid eligibility unwinding were children aged 18 years old or younger. Kansas Action for Children senior policy advisor Heather Braum predicted in a recent Kansas Reflector report that…
Read MoreErrors caused many low-income kids to be dropped from Medicaid health insurance
Over 2 million children lost their coverage this year, but experts say that often, it was due to errors. At least two million kids from low-income families lost their Medicaid health insurance coverage this year as the federal policy from the pandemic era came to a close. This, according to new research analyses conducted by the KFF and the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. It is likely that the figure is notably higher, according to experts, as the shift occurred very quickly. According to a New York Times report,…
Read MoreMany lapsed Medicaid recipients will enroll in ACA health insurance plans
Experts and insurers have predicted that after losing old coverage, there will be an influx of policy shopping. Health insurance companies and advisors alike are preparing for a notable surge of consumers looking for assistance in navigating Affordable Care Act enrollment after having lost Medicaid coverage in 2023. As of April, this year, the extensions for coverage that were put into place during the pandemic ended. Beginning April 1, 2023, the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage extensions that were put into place throughout the worst of the…
Read MoreMedicare vs. Medicaid: What’s The Difference?
Just about everyone has heard of Medicare and Medicaid, however, not everyone fully understands just what they are, and the difference between the two. It is important to note that while the names might sound alike, they are completely different programs. While Medicaid is funded by social security tax contributions and is offered to those who meet certain income requirements, Medicare is available to most people who meet the age requirements, and is not based on income. Both programs are beneficial to millions of people in the United States, and…
Read MoreLong term care insurance is expensive, but more affordable than the costs it covers
Recent predictions show that over half of older Americans will need these costly services. According to the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance executive director Jesse Slome, around one in every six Americans is now older than 65 years, and the more the population ages, the shakier their financial position will be. While living longer lives is typically desirable, the cost of those years could lead to hardships. “Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Slome. “But when we live a…
Read MoreNumber of Americans with health insurance hit record high in Q1 2023, said CDC
That said, this figure was measured just before the changes to Medicaid rules were implemented. During the first quarter of this year, the number of Americans without health insurance dropped to a record low of 7.7 percent. Unfortunately, this record-breaking figure was achieved just ahead of the expiration of the rule implemented during the pandemic. In April, the Medicaid coverage of 15 million people was on shaky ground, possibly increasing uninsured rates. The data was measured in a survey released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) this month. It…
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