Health Care and Insurance News Bulletin
October 28 – November 10, 2022
The purpose of this bulletin is to compile a handful of articles relating to health care coverage in the United States that are most pertinent to LIUNA and its health and welfare funds. We hope you find this biweekly bulletin helpful and informative.
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NBC News: New Drug May Help People With Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure
An experimental drug could eventually offer hope to millions of people struggling with uncontrolled high blood pressure, new research has found.
CBS News: The IRS Is Making Big Changes To FSAs And HSAs. Here's What To Know
In 2023, employees can put away as much as $3,050 in an FSA, an increase of about 7% from the current tax year's cap of $2,850. Meanwhile, single workers who want to fund an HSA can save up to $3,850 next year, a 5.5% increase from 2022, while families can save up to $7,750, up 6.2%.
Becker's Hospital Review: Kaiser Permanente Reports $1.5B Q3 Loss
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries reported a net loss of $1.5 billion for the quarter ending Sept. 30, according to a Nov. 4 financial report.
CNN: Deaths Caused By Alcohol Use In The US Spiked During The Covid-19 Pandemic, CDC Data Shows
Deaths caused by alcohol use in the United States spiked during the Covid-19 pandemic, killing more than 49,000 people in 2020, according to data published [November 4th] by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NPR: CDC Issues New Opioid Prescribing Guidance, Giving Doctors More Leeway To Treat Pain
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance for clinicians on how and when to prescribe opioids for pain. Released [November 3rd], this revamps the agency's 2016 recommendations which some doctors and patients have criticized for promoting a culture of austerity around opioids.
Reuters: New U.S. Cancer Drug Prices Rise 53% In Five Years -Report
The annual price of a newly-launched cancer drug in the United States averaged $283,000 last year, a 53% increase from 2017, according to a new report from U.S. Democratic Representative Katie Porter, a consumer bankruptcy law professor running for re-election in California.
The Hill: HHS Renews Public Health Emergency For Monkeypox Outbreak
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on [November 2nd] renewed the national public health emergency for the monkeypox outbreak, with officials stating that the virus is still very present in the U.S. even as cases continue to drop.
Politico: FDA Says Providers Offering Medication Abortion Before Pregnancy Have Gone Rogue
The FDA said health providers prescribing abortion medication to people who aren’t pregnant are acting without its authorization and that the practice is potentially dangerous for patients.
Kaiser Health News: ‘Fourth Trimester’ Focus Is Pushed To Prevent Maternal Deaths
Public health investigators found that 53% of maternal deaths happened well after a mother left the hospital — from seven days to a year after the birth.
AP: As Fentanyl Drives Overdose Deaths, Mistaken Beliefs Persist
As fentanyl gains attention, mistaken beliefs persist about the drug, how it is trafficked and why so many people are dying.
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STATES IN THE NEWS
Vox: South Dakota Voters Decide To Extend Medicaid Coverage To 45,000 People
Six times before this Election Day, voters in a state had weighed in directly on whether to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and make more low-income adults eligible for free public health coverage.
Healthcare Dive: Mass General Brigham Adopts Patient Code Of Conduct
Mass General Brigham has implemented a system-wide code of conduct for patients, in response to a rise in violent and hostile behavior toward healthcare providers around the country, a spokesperson told Healthcare Dive in an email [November 4th].
New Hampshire Public Radio: N.H. To Launch Telehealth Program For COVID-19 Antiviral Paxlovid
The state is launching a telehealth program to expand access to Paxlovid for New Hampshire residents. The antiviral treatment reduces severe illness among people at high risk from COVID-19.
North Carolina Health News: NC's Low-Performing Nursing Homes To Get More Federal Scrutiny
Too often, frail and mostly older people in poor-performing skilled nursing facilities end up in unnecessary pain or distress. The White House recently announced that federal regulators will be taking a harder line in dealing with the country’s poorest performing nursing homes.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: After Weeks Of Drama, Disappointment, Atlanta Medical Center To Close
The doors to Atlanta Medical Center in downtown will be locked at 12 a.m. [November 1st], ending a century of health care for the poor at that site and leaving city and state officials still searching for a way to continue caring for nearby residents.
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Lisa M. Sabitoni, Esq.
Executive Director
Laborers' Health & Safety Fund of North America
905 16th Street, NW, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20006
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