Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Rate Of Uninsured Americans Forecast To Reach 8.9% Over Next 10 Years
The uninsured rate is poised to climb over the coming decade, the Congressional Budget Office predicts in an article published in the journal Health Affairs Tuesday. The uninsured rate is 7.7% this year with 26 million people lacking health coverage, up from an all-time low of 7.2% in 2023, according to the CBO. The nonpartisan legislative branch agency projects the share will rise to 8.9% in 2034. (Early, 6/18)
In other news about insurance and sick leave —
A recent poll by the market research company Talker Research found that the average American works 84 hours, or just over two work weeks a year, while sick with a cold or other virus. About half the 2,000 adult workers surveyed said they would rather just power through their day than call in. A third worry about looking overly dramatic by staying home to rest and recover. (Levesque, 6/18)
Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: A Tale Of Two States: Arizona And Florida Diverge On How To Expand Kids’ Health Insurance
Arizona and Florida — whose rates of uninsured children are among the highest in the nation — set goals last year to widen the safety net that provides health insurance to people 18 and younger. But their plans to expand coverage illustrate key ideological differences on the government’s role in subsidizing health insurance for kids: what to charge low-income families as premiums for public coverage — and what happens if they miss a payment. (Chang, 6/20)
Five people have been charged with bilking Minnesota's Medicaid programs out of more than $10 million by billing the state for phony or exaggerated medical transportation or home care services. State Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday that the charges are related to two ongoing state-federal fraud investigations, and said that in some cases the accused individuals spent ill-gotten gains on lavish cars, clothing and furniture. (Olson, 6/19)
Financially troubled Athena Health Care Systems has sold five of its Connecticut nursing homes to a former competitor that has agreed to pay back taxes and debts owed to vendors and add $2.6 million to cover unpaid employee health insurance costs. (Altimari and Carlesso, 6/19)
