Virginia’s state budget bottleneck is casting a shadow on a new state program that this year resulted in a 19.5 percent reduction in the cost people pay for health insurance. As a result, that could mean a steep increase in premium rates if the House of Delegates and state Senate can’t figure out how to … Read more
At a time when conservative state politicians are launching coordinated attacks on LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, the data on the intersecting identities targeted by these types of legislation is especially important. Previous research has found that there is diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity among people who have had abortions in the United States. … Read more
Health insurance prices could be higher in 2024 for Marylanders buying their own coverage, but the increase is expected to be smaller than last year, when costs related to the coronavirus pandemic prompted carriers to request hikes of tariffs by an average of 11%. The average rate increase requested by carriers from state insurance regulators … Read more
An established pillar of Colorado’s health care system received powerful additional support in late April with bipartisan Colorado passage SB23-002. The bill will allow Medicaid reimbursement for certain services provided by community health workers (CHWs), which help connect patients to vital health and community services, provide education, and reduce barriers to care, among other activities. … Read more
Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a bill requiring health insurers to cover gender-affirming care for minors and transgender adults, bumping expectations as other GOP-led states across the country roll out anti-gender legislation. -LGBTQ. Lombardo’s bill signed on Monday, SB163, requires health insurers, including Medicaid, to cover all medically necessary gender-affirming treatments and eliminate exclusions that … Read more
House Republicans moved Tuesday to prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from providing abortion services, flying LGBTQ+ pride flags at its facilities, and providing gender-affirming surgeries or hormones to transgender veterans. The effort, made by GOP lawmakers in the annual VA spending bill, aims to prevent the agency from following policies it considers welcoming to … Read more
Four state policies introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to spur telehealth expansion were associated with telehealth expansion by mental health facilities, but telehealth growth was lowest among facilities in counties with the largest percentage of black residents, according to a new RAND corporate study. Telehealth expansion was also lower among facilities that accepted Medicaid or … Read more
Aetna, the insurance provider chosen to serve a lift to health care for 250,000 municipal retirees, now wants a chance to defend the plan in court. The company filed a petition on Tuesday to intervene in a lawsuit New York City retirees filed against the city and Mayor Eric Adams in Manhattan Supreme Court last … Read more