Under the Influence:
First Week of April
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HEALTH CARE
KFF survey: Most Americans see addressing out-of-pocket costs as priority
Most Americans remain concerned about out-of-pocket costs and the quality of long-term care, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll.
Major report says nursing home care, funding system needs overhaul
Nursing home residents are subjected to ineffective care and poor staffing, while facility finances are shrouded in secrecy and regulatory lapses go unenforced, according to a report Wednesday that called for wholesale changes in an industry whose failures have been spotlighted by the pandemic.
CMS: 2023 Medicare Advantage, Part D Rate Sees 8.5% Revenue Boost
CMS also shared in the final 2023 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate announcement that Medicare Advantage star ratings would increase by 0.54 percent on average.
Do employers have any leverage to bring down prices?
Running on empty
Can Democrats run on healthcare when they haven't gotten anything done?
Democrats' Tone-Deafness on Medicare for All Costly
House Democrats haven't given up on bringing socialized health care to the United States — at least judging from a hearing the Committee on Oversight and Reform held earlier this week.
White House proposes fix to ‘family glitch’ in ObamaCare
The Biden administration is proposing a rule change to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to fix the so-called “family glitch” that blocks millions of people who receive health care through a family member’s work from qualifying for assistance with coverage.
Medicare Advantage insurers get a pay bump
Private insurers who administer Medicare Advantage plans can expect a 5% average increase in federal payments next year — half a percentage point above what the Biden administration proposed in February.
Insurers’ ‘Gaming’ of Obamacare Provision Seen Boosting Premiums
An Obamacare provision designed to protect consumers from price gouging in health insurance is instead being manipulated to keep premiums high, driving up the costs for individuals and employers alike.
Covid had devastating toll on poor and low-income communities in US
Poor People’s Pandemic Report concludes that while virus did not discriminate between rich and poor, society and government did
Uninsured Americans Could Be Faced With a Slew of New COVID-19 Expenses
Funding for more critical supplies is stalled in Congress. Here’s how much tests, treatment, and vaccines could cost out of pocket.
America’s Pandemic Orphans Are Slipping Through the Cracks
A new plan to help them will likely be too little, too late.
Covid in D.C.: What to know about the risks of Omicron and BA.2
The surge of Covid-19 infections in Washington this week has many wondering if it's safe enough to hold indoor, public events again.
Senate expected to leave for recess without passing $10B COVID package
The Senate is expected to leave for a two-week recess on Thursday without passing a $10 billion deal on COVID-19 relief, despite wide bipartisan support on the package.
ABORTION RIGHTS & WOMEN'S HEALTH
Report: U.S. Ranks Last for Women's Healthcare Among Wealthy Nations
— Highest rates of preventable deaths, maternal mortality, and mental heath needs
A COVERT NETWORK OF ACTIVISTS IS PREPARING FOR THE END OF ROE
What will the future of abortion in America look like?
Blue States Enact New Laws to Create Abortion Havens
In preparation, lawmakers in those states are considering bills that would remove hurdles such as waiting periods and parental notifications, and some are proposing to help low-income patients by paying for travel and other practical expenses that add to the true cost of abortion care.
Advocates sound the alarm on abortion rights ahead of midterms
Progressives and advocates are sounding the alarm about strict abortion bans across the country and want Democrats to make abortion a major issue ahead of the midterm elections.
Pills are the next big abortion battleground
As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the fate of Roe v. Wade, advocates on both sides of the fight are already positioning themselves for the next battle, over medication abortions or so-called abortion pills.
POLITICS, CLIMATE, LGBTQ+, MENTAL HEALTH & MORE
What if the American Rescue Plan Act Premium Tax Credits Expire?
Coverage and Cost Projections for 2023: Over 3 Million People Could Lose Insurance if American Rescue Plans’ Premium Tax Credits Expire
Living Near Fracking Sites Linked to Adverse Birth Outcomes
— Canadian study adds to mounting evidence that exposure to fracking sites is damaging to health
Dems plot spring sprint for party-line spending deal with Manchin
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the resuscitation of the bill once called Build Back Better is a “high priority” for his caucus. But a revival won't be easy.
Native tribes demand Congress provide ‘all the resources necessary’ to combat opioid crisis
In the wake of a landmark settlement deal with the nation’s largest drugmakers and distributors, Native American leaders told lawmakers Tuesday that the federal government must also fulfill its commitments to helping tribes fight the opioid epidemic.
What Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson means for the country
Legal scholars believe she can have a significant impact, even in the minority.
The future cost of climate inaction? $2 trillion a year, says the government
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the first ever accounting of how unchecked global warming would impact the federal budget, looking at its potential to dampen the economy as a whole, and balloon the costs of climate-related programs over time.
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Catch up on exclusive Tarbell.org stories you missed!
TARBELL EXCLUSIVES
NEW:The Potter Report: Biden Admin Gives Insurers Big Pay Raise
Insurers' new cash cow is the federal government's Medicare program
The Potter Report: Underinsurance
Unaffordable out-of-pocket requirements force thousands of Americans to file bankruptcy due to medical debt.
Thoughts from the Publisher:
What Events in Ukraine Can Teach Us For the Future
"This is the gamble that Putin is taking – that the world will capitulate and trade Ukraine independence for energy and price stability."
A Tarbell Investigation:
The Enigma of Stigma
By Simar Bajaj
In a pandemic rife with missteps and political polarization, stigma is more than just this abstract moral quandary.
Don’t Look Up! (or down or anywhere)
Tarbell's review of and commentary on the recently released film, "Don't Look Up"
"To me, the message of the film was not a political one as much as it is an indictment on the state of journalism (or lack of it) in our country."
A Note from the Publisher
"While the pandemic can be easily equated with a “crisis,” there are other similarly dangerous threats to public health lurking in the background. Hopefully, these factors can gain traction in public policy making and media attention because “public health” is now more of a household term than it was in February 2020."
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💊 DRUG PRICES + BIG PHARMA
Merck, during a transition year, doled out nearly $30M to its pair of CEOs
Frazier, who served a decade as CEO before stepping down on June 30, received a compensation package of $15.2 million in 2021. Davis, the company’s former chief financial officer who took over on July 1, was rewarded with $13.7 million.
Nearly 200 House Republicans Voted ‘No’ To Lowering The Cost Of Insulin, But Thankfully The Bill Passed Anyway
The final vote, according to NBC News, was a surprisingly close 232-193. What might be less surprising is that the 193 votes against lowering the cost of a drug that could save the lives of countless people, and improve the lives of millions more, all came from Republican voters.
Rep. Matt Gaetz Votes Against Capping Insulin Prices, Says People Should Just Lose Weight
The Florida congressman said “the price of insulin increases as waistlines increase.”
Pharmaceutical marketing hurts patients’ care
At Kaiser Permanente, our physicians and pharmacists work together to ensure the drugs we prescribe are based on the evidence, not ads.
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Follow The Money 💲💲💲
A Pension Official Blows The Whistle
A new lawsuit in Pennsylvania could shed light on how retirement funds are siphoning employee’s earnings to Wall Street firms.
Inside the consulting firm run by Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
Virginia “Ginni” Thomas runs a little-known consulting company that some campaign watchdog groups say could create yet another conflict of interest for her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Dark money: the quixotic quest to clean up US campaign financing
It would, activists testify, restore the public’s waning trust in vital US institutions, curb the corrupting influence of big money in politics and give America’s ailing democracy a much-needed shot in the arm.
Gayle Manchin Awards Grant Benefiting Her Husband’s Political Helpers
Among the recipients is a business park directed by Joe Manchin's campaign treasurer.
For BlackRock, The Climate Crisis Is A Win-Win-Win
No matter how — or whether — governments tackle climate change, the world’s biggest asset manager has positioned itself to cash in.
Rich companies are using a quiet tactic to block lawsuits: bankruptcy
"What I see is who can play the game best," Wilt said. "Big corporations trying to work the system in a way that they don't have to take full responsibility is nothing new."
The marijuana industry spent millions lobbying on legalization in 2021
The marijuana and cannabis industry spent over $4.2 million lobbying on a variety of issues and legislation in 2021, including the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 that was passed by the House of Representatives Friday
Bice: Sarah Godlewski hates how much Big Pharma charges for drugs. But she didn't mind owning its stock.
According to her personal financial disclosure statement filed last August, Godlewski and her husband, Max Duckworth, were sitting on stock in 14 pharmaceutical companies at a total value of between about $64,000 and $446,000.
Here's how much CVS CEO Karen Lynch made last year
CVS Health's Karen Lynch nearly doubled her compensation last year after stepping into the CEO chair, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings from the company.
Nonprofit Group Takes Aim at Foreign Money in Politics
The organization Free Speech for People is promoting legislation at the state, federal, and local levels that would prohibit foreign-influenced corporations from making political donations, potentially affecting every S&P 500 company.
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