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Arizona Covid cases double since June, as virus rebounds in state, U.S.
First lady Jill Biden’s positive Covid test this past weekend was the latest, and most high-profile, reminder that cases are once again on the rise in the U.S. and in Arizona, where new infections per week have more than doubled since early July.
Limit insurer profits to improve health care
Where is all our health care spending going if we’re not getting the best health care outcomes, despite spending the most on health care of any nation on Earth? A sizable chunk is going into the coffers of America’s private health insurers.
State marketplace would improve health care access
Transitioning from the federal health care exchange to a state-based model will assist Gov. Katie Hobbs’ efforts to lower costs and improve the health and wellness for all Arizonans.
Advocates push media literacy training in schools
Local advocates are pushing for lawmakers to implement media literacy training in schools around Arizona, something states across the country are already doing.
Consumers, small businesses, taxpayers need relief from Big Pharma
According to a study conducted by Avik Roy and Gregg Girvan of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP), Big Pharma’s abuse of the patent system around biologic drugs, such as Humira, cost American patients and taxpayers an additional $5 billion between 2015 and 2020. Without congressional action to hold brand name drug companies accountable, the report estimates this anti-compe[...]
Money for dental care for pregnant women missing from budget
Unfortunately, the funding to support SB1088 is missing from initial budget proposals. Officials estimate we need $359,700 from the general fund plus $818,000 in federal Medicaid dollars to fund the program. While not an insignificant amount, the public health implications of failing to provide expectant mothers with dental coverage have a far greater cost. This is why I encourage the legislature [...]
Supreme Court ruling allows 126K Arizonans to retain health insurance subsidies
In a major victory for the Obama administration, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that the Affordable Care Act allows federal exchanges to offer subsidies, thereby preserving the insurance coverage of roughly 6.4 million Americans, including 126,000 Arizonans.
No health insurance? Penalties to rise in 2015
The cost of being uninsured in America is going up significantly next year for millions of people. It's the first year all taxpayers have to report to the Internal Revenue Service whether they had health insurance for the previous year, as required under President Barack Obama's law. Those who were uninsured face fines, unless they qualify for one of about 30 exemptions, most of which involve f[...]
Study: 313,000 in AZ can get insurance subsidies
A new study says nearly 60 percent of Arizonans who can buy health insurance through the federal marketplace will qualify for a tax subsidy.
Standing on principle can be costly
In the debate over Medicaid expansion, the ace up the sleeve of expansion advocates is federal largesse. The federal health care law requires states to eventually cover 10 percent of the cost of expanding Medicaid eligibility; but for the next three years 100 percent of the cost is covered by the federal treasury.
Obama’s Affordable Care Act creates perplexing array of possibilities
Recently, the Kaiser Family Foundation issued a brief on “Implementing New Private Health Insurance Market Rules,” and it leave room for some interpretations.
‘Tis the season for Medicare Part D ‘doughnut hole’
For many people in Medicare Part D, late summer is usually the time of year when they fall into the infamous “doughnut hole,” which is the coverage gap that requires enrollees to pay all of their medication costs.
