Federal and state policymakers have been working to improve the cost-effectiveness of care provided to the “dually eligible” — those entitled to services under both Medicare and Medicaid — for more than two decades, but the results to date have been disappointing. The two giant public insurance programs are run by separate bureaucracies, have different … Read more
After weeks of intense negotiations over his administration’s sweeping domestic agenda, President Biden released a revised Build Back Better (BBB) plan which substantially scales back many key provisions, including those related to health care. Even so, the absolute size of the initiative — $1.85 trillion in new federal spending over ten years, covering everything from … Read more
The Biden administration is encountering turbulence as it pushes a major domestic program and climate change bill in Congress, which is not surprising given the size of what is being contemplated. The president and leading Democrats originally had targeted $3.5 trillion in new spending over ten years as their goal, offset with tax hikes, spending … Read more
As leader of the NW Parkinson’s Foundation, I hear every day that Americans are paying too much for prescription drugs. And they’re eager for Congress to do something about it. Fortunately, Washington State’s newest member of Congress, Marilyn Strickland, is listening. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Strickland and nine other Democrats … Read more
The $3.5 trillion “human” infrastructure package currently in discussion in Congress aims to address health care, education, and tax policies, as well as various other issues. Democrats plan to pass this bill using a process called “budget reconciliation” that will allow them to approve it with only Democratic votes. This package has strong … Read more
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) and Michigan State University (MSU) Health Care announced a collaboration on Monday to educate those who are Medicare-eligible on their insurance options through HAP. HAP provides health insurance coverage for Michiganders with parent organization Henry Ford Health System. This partnership is another effort from HAP to expand tailored Medicare … Read more
A federal bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices is failing to progress because several congressional representatives from areas with robust pharmaceutical industries remain opposed. This includes representatives from the San Diego and Los Angeles areas — Democratic U.S. Reps. Scott Peters, Lou Correa, and Tony Cardenas are opposed to the initiative. … Read more