Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Financing Quickly Gaining Ground In World Of Pricey Health Care
As inflation-weary shoppers try to make ends meet, many are turning to a modern twist on the layaway plan: buy now, pay later. But while platforms like Afterpay and Affirm were originally built to take the sting out of online shopping, these new financing options are beginning to creep into the world of health care. (Palmer, 1/3)
America appears to be resetting its priorities when it comes to health care as inflation and talk of a recession loom larger on voters' minds. A shrinking percentage of Americans across the ideological spectrum view abortion as a top priority heading into 2023, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Independents are the only group that still views health care reform as a top-five issue. (Reed and Bettelheim, 1/3)
For almost three years, hospitals and health insurers have been riding the waves of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though they can better predict what lies ahead in 2023, there remain several big unknowns. STAT’s business reporters will be paying attention to three trends in particular: the end of the public health emergency, how hospital price hikes will affect people’s paychecks, and Medicare Advantage’s explosive growth. (Herman and Bannow, 1/3)
New York City’s struggle to switch more than a quarter-million retired government workers and their dependents from traditional Medicare to private health insurance could set an alarming precedent for employers and insurers banking on the fast-growing group Medicare Advantage program. (Tepper, 1/2)
Many Americans, particularly women, are having difficulty paying for their required health care services — especially dental and mental health care needs — despite having health insurance through their employers. That's according to a recent report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). (Sudhakar, 1/2)
Also, there's still time to get coverage through the public marketplace —
Anyone without health insurance has about two weeks left to get 2023 coverage through the public marketplace — and subsidies could make it affordable. Open enrollment for the federal health care exchange runs through Jan. 15, with coverage taking effect Feb. 1. (If your state has its own exchange, the last day to enroll may be different.) After the sign-up window closes, you’d generally need to experience a qualifying life event — i.e., birth of a child or marriage — to be given a special enrollment period. (O'Brien, 1/2)
