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The U.S. Census Bureau wants to change how it asks people about disabilities, and some advocates are complaining that they were not consulted enough on what amounts to a major overhaul in how disabilities would be defined by the federal government. Disability advocates say the change would artificially reduce their numbers by almost half. At stake are not only whether people with disabilities get vital resources for housing, schools or program benefits but whether people with disabilities are counted accurately in the first place, experts said. (Schneider, 12/8)

The Senate Health Committee will hold a hearing next week on the diabetes epidemic in the U.S., committee Chair Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said. Sanders, who earlier this year interrogated drug manufacturers about the high cost of insulin, told The Hill the hearing will focus broadly on the underlying causes of the rise in diabetes, especially in children. (Weixel, 12/7)

Medicare negotiations of prescription drug prices could have cut seniors' out-of-pocket costs by nearly a quarter had the program been in effect in 2021, according to an analysis Mathematica provided first to Axios. The research consultancy's analysis offers a glimpse at potential savings enrollees might see as Medicare begins negotiating the prices of certain high-cost drugs. (Reed, 12/8)

A bipartisan group of senators is urging the Biden administration to beef up the amount of data it collects from private Medicare plans in order to combat overpayments and improper care denials. (Bannow, 12/8)

The Center for Medicare Advocacy, National Health Law Program, Disability Rights Connecticut and National Disability Rights Network wrote the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Federal Trade Commission and other state and federal agencies Thursday to protest UnitedHealthcare advertisements for Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans appearing in Connecticut. The ads target people with both Medicare and Medicaid and spotlight extra benefits from Medicare Advantage plans that state and federal laws already require, the groups wrote. (Tepper, 12/7)

Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: Dodging The Medicare Enrollment Deadline Can Be Costly 

Angela M. Du Bois, a retired software tester in Durham, North Carolina, wasn’t looking to replace her UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan. She wasn’t concerned as the Dec. 7 deadline approached for choosing another of the privately run health insurance alternatives to original Medicare. But then something caught her attention: When she went to her doctor last month, she learned that the doctor and the hospital where she works will not accept her insurance next year. (Jaffe, 12/7)

Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: Democrats See Opportunity In GOP Threats To Repeal Health Law 

With other GOP presidential candidates following Donald Trump’s lead in calling for an end to the Affordable Care Act, Democrats are jumping on an issue they think will favor them in the 2024 elections. The Biden administration almost immediately rolled out a controversial proposal that could dramatically decrease the price of drugs developed with federally funded research dollars. The drug industry and the business community at large are vehemently opposed to the proposal, but it is likely to be popular with voters. (12/7)

The era of massive overhauls of the health care system appears to be over — at least for now. Health care is shaping up to be a prominent 2024 campaign issue, but today's political environment has all but extinguished hopes for sweeping changes to the system. (Owens, 12/8)