UC Irvine Study Finds Medicaid Telehealth Coverage Increased Health Care Use and Access

Irvine, California, May 31, 2023 Medicaid telehealth coverage between 2013 and 2019 was associated with significant growth in telehealth use and improved access to health care, whereas private policies had no such association, according to a study conducted by the University of California , Irvine. An analysis of 20,000 records of U.S. adults under 65 … Read more

Loss of ACA Preventive Assistance mandate could impact 10 million enrollees

By Kelsey Waddill May 31, 2023 – With the Affordable Care Act’s preventive care coverage requirement under scrutiny, Peterson-KFF researchers investigated how many Americans rely on the law’s coverage and determined that up to 10 million people could be affected. The researchers used data on claims from 2019, which would not be susceptible to the … Read more

MCNA notifies 8.9 million people of the health data breach

By Sarah Rodriguez May 31, 2023 – MCNA Dental, a provider of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program services suffered a major health data breach affecting more than 8.9 million people, revealing their Social Security numbers and personal data. As of right now, this marks the largest health data breach reported in 2023. MCNA Dental … Read more

Health care coalition opposes medical spending, eye scrutiny initiative

Influential health interests are maneuvering a potential $19.4 billion infusion into Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, while also seeking a 2024 election initiative to permanently block that funding, KFF Health News has learned. The Coalition to Protect Access to Care, which includes groups representing doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and clinics, is lobbying Governor Gavin Newsom and … Read more

How medical recoding may limit options for breast reconstruction for cancer patients

The federal government is reconsidering a decision that breast cancer patients, plastic surgeons and members of Congress have protested would limit women’s options for reconstructive surgery. On June 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plans to review how doctors are paid for a type of breast reconstruction known as a DIEP flap, in … Read more

Here’s what your New Mexico lawmakers are doing the rest of the year – Source New Mexico

Although the New Mexico legislative session doesn’t begin until January 2024, lawmakers and legislative staff will work throughout the summer at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe and at locations across the state to study and establish programs for the state moving forward. Below are some of the objectives outlined in the Finance Legislative Committees Provisional … Read more

Comment: Abortion access remains a priority in Maryland

Nearly a year ago, the US Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has eliminated the constitutional right to abortion after nearly 50 years. Our patients in Maryland experienced uncertainty and concern after the ruling as other states began enacting a myriad of abortion restrictions. Meanwhile, reproductive health care providers were quick … Read more

Readers and tweeters weigh the merits of marijuana against those of alcohol or opioids

Letters to the Editor is a periodical column. We welcome all comments and will post a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. On alcohol abuse: Seeing a double standard I’ve done quite a bit of research on alcohol-related deaths and keep track of reports from the Centers for Disease Control … Read more

Drafting effective RWI coverage exclusions

Cover exclusions are a key risk management tool for transactional liability insurers. But they can also be traps for the unwary. In the event of a claims dispute, the insurer will likely have the burden of proving that an exclusion applies and a judge or arbitrator may (depending on the circumstances) be instructed to interpret … Read more

It goes. chamber to offer small business health coverage – Virginia Business

Published May 30, 2023 Of Kate Andrews Approximately 25-33% of Dillon Behr’s workload as an information and executive liability broker at insurer Risk Placement Services is related to phishing. Compromised emails constitute the largest category of attacks. Photo by Stephen Gosling Finding affordable health insurance has long been a challenge for small business owners and … Read more