Limited Access to Paid Family Leave October 14, 2021 Slide Most people will need to take time off work to care for themselves or their families at some point, but only one in five (21%) workers have access to paid family leave through their employer. Congress is considering creating a universal paid family and medical leave program as part of the Build Back Better Act.
Most Medicare Beneficiaries Don’t Shop Around for Coverage October 21, 2021 Slide About 7 in 10 beneficiaries say they did not compare plans during a recent open enrollment period, and some groups were even less likely to do so. Those groups include some who could be most affected by plan changes from year to year.
Richer Health Insurance Subsidies Available This ACA Enrollment Season October 28, 2021 Slide Many people who come to the Affordable Care Act marketplaces for the 2022 open enrollment period, which begins Nov. 1, may be learning for the first time about new financial assistance available to them.
10 Years of Hospital Readmissions Penalties November 4, 2021 Slide Over the 10-year lifetime of a Medicare program aimed at reducing hospital readmissions, 93% of eligible hospitals have been penalized at least once. Hospital readmissions have become less frequent, and most experts attribute that partly to the financial threat of the penalties, though other factors likely contributed to the improvements.
The Challenge of Reaching the Unvaccinated November 11, 2021 Slide Across eight news sources tested, fewer than a third of unvaccinated adults trust any of them for information on COVID-19.
The Legal Battle Against Federal Vaccine Mandates November 18, 2021 Slide Twenty-seven states have joined lawsuits challenging at least one aspect of the Biden administration’s vaccination requirements, but the vast majority are part of multiple lawsuits.
State Restrictions on Telehealth Abortion December 2, 2021 Slide If Roe v. Wade is overturned, many states will quickly move to restrict or ban abortions. People seeking an abortion who live in those states may be able to access medication abortion via telehealth if their state does not restrict it and if they are within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
How Build Back Better Would Affect Drug Costs December 8, 2021 Slide Provisions in the bill that would lower prescription drug costs and reduce federal drug spending would take effect over the next several years, starting in 2023.
A Year of Vaccine Inequity December 22, 2021 Slide Just 7% of low-income countries’ populations have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of December 20, well behind the 40% target for 2021.
Before New Ban, the Prevalence of Surprise Bills January 7, 2022 Slide Patients with certain conditions appear to be at higher risk for receiving surprise bills. They should be aware of new federal protections against surprise bills and know how to seek out help if they have improperly received one.