Vermont for Single Payer

02/11/2025

https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/premiums-expected-to-match-hike
Pittsfield, MA Schools’ Increase in State Aid Completely Eaten Up By Health Premium Increase
“A few weeks ago, the Pittsfield Public Schools learned its share of Chapter 70 state aid to schools was expected to increase by more than $4 million, owed to its large percentage of students from lower- income households.
“But that windfall felt distant on Wednesday night when Mayor Peter Marchetti and Finance Director Matthew Kerwood informed City Council and School Committee members that Pittsfield is facing an increase of nearly 15 percent in its health premiums for fiscal 2026.
"’That increase is worth [$4.5] million - the exact amount of money [the city's Chapter 70 funding] was increasing,’ Marchetti said. ‘So we win some, we lose some."’

But that windfall felt distant on Wednesday night when Mayor Peter Marchetti and Finance Director Matthew Kerwood informed City Council and School Committee members that Pittsfield is facing an increase of nearly 15 percent in its health premiums for fiscal 2026.. The city obtains its Blue Cross Blu...

02/11/2025

02/10/2025

https://stateline.org/2025/02/10/health-insurance-for-millions-could-vanish-as-states-put-medicaid-expansion-on-chopping-block/

“Republican lawmakers in several states have Medicaid expansion in their crosshairs, energized by President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and a GOP-controlled Congress set on reducing spending on the public health insurance program for low-income people.

“As the feds consider cuts to Medicaid, some states are already moving to end or shrink their expanded Medicaid programs.”

Republican state lawmakers are weighing options for shrinking or eliminating Medicaid expansion programs.

02/09/2025

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/02/07/new-york-health-insurance-denials-2023/78333221007/
99.72% of UnitedHealth Coverage Denial Grievances in NY Were Reversed
[headline corrected; see comment for explanation]
“In 2023, about 13,600 grievances, or nearly 43% of total cases filed by consumers and health providers, resulted in the initial insurance coverage denial being reversed.
…
“…UnitedHealthcare of New York had the highest reversal rate, 99.72% of more than 7,860 grievances.”

NY's health insurance grievance total in 2023 was the second-highest tally since 2016, underscoring growing discontent with health insurance industry.

02/08/2025

https://www.change.org/p/let-vermonters-speak-on-healthcare-we-call-on-the-legislature-to-hold-open-hearings?recruiter=778515&recruited_by_id=1f11d340-51c9-0130-c569-3c764e049c64&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=us_web_bi_ua_sap_20240920_brand_conversions-sap&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_490349421_en-US%3A3
After spending millions of dollars and wasting many years trying to “reform” Vermont’s healthcare, hundreds of thousands of Vermonters struggle to afford and access health care.
If you haven’t already, please sign the petition asking that VT’s legislature hold open hearings to provide citizens of Vermont an opportunity to testify on their experiences with health care and what needs to be done to provide quality, affordable healthcare to all.

Let Vermonters Speak on Healthcare: We Call on the Legislature to Hold Open Hearings

02/08/2025

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/indiana-copa-state-senate-legislation-repeal-hospital-merger-monopoly/
“On the heels of a scuttled hospital merger between rivals in Terre Haute, Indiana, a state senator introduced a bill that would forbid similar mergers in the future.
“Last year, nonprofit Union Health tried to acquire the only other acute care hospital in Vigo County by leveraging a state law it helped create that allows hospital monopolies. Now, Sen. Ed Charbonneau, a key architect of the 2021 law, which allows what is known as a “Certificate of Public Advantage,” or COPA, wants to repeal it.
“’I didn’t think I was doing 100% the right thing last time,’ the Republican, who chairs the Senate health committee, said of co-authoring Indiana’s 2021 COPA law. ‘I do think I am this time.”

After rival hospitals in Terre Haute scuttled plans to merge, a state senator has introduced a bill to forbid similar mergers by repealing a state law he helped write.

02/06/2025

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/prospect-medical-holdings-files-bankruptcy/737138/
“Private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners owned Prospect between 2010 and 2021. Last week, a report from the Senate Budget Committee accused the firm of plundering the health system for investors’ gain.
“The report found Prospect paid out $645 million in dividends and preferred stock redemption to its investors — $424 million of which went directly to pay Leonard Green investors — while taking on high debt loads.
“One of the most contentious deals orchestrated under Leonard Green’s direction was a $1.55 billion sale-leaseback with Medical Properties Trust in 2019, in which Prospect sold and rented back its hospitals. Sale-leasebacks give hospitals quick access to cash to fund expansion projects, however, some experts say the transactions strip hospitals of their value. In Prospect’s case, the transaction left the health system on the hook for $1 million in annual rent payments.”

Prospect is the second large health system with a history of private equity ownership to declare bankruptcy in the past year.

02/04/2025

https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/press-release/healthcare-gov-insurers-denied-nearly-1-in-5-in-network-claims-in-2023-but-information-about-reasons-is-limited-in-public-data/
“HealthCare.gov insurers denied nearly one out of every five claims (19%) submitted for in-network services and an even larger share (37%) share of claims for out-of-network services in 2023, a new KFF analysis finds.”
…
“The analysis finds a huge variation across HealthCare.gov insurers, which had in-network denial rates as low as 1% and as high as 54% in 2023 in some states. Nationwide, high-volume insurers with higher in-network denial rates across HealthCare.gov states included Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (35% for its 12 plans in that state), UnitedHealth Group (33% across 274 plans in 20 states), Health Care Service Corporation (29% across 915 plans in four states), Molina Healthcare (26% across 72 plans in nine states), and Elevance Health (23% across 154 plans in seven states).”

HealthCare.gov insurers denied nearly one out of every five claims (19%) submitted for in-network services and an even larger share (37%) share of claims for out-of-network services in 2023, a new KFF analysis finds. The analysis examines the main source of publicly available data on claims denials....

02/04/2025

https://abcnews.go.com/538/republicans-proposed-health-care-cuts-politically-risky/story?id=118274926
“The Trump administration and new Republican majority in Congress have big plans to extend tax cuts and crack down on immigration. To pay for these changes, they're in the market to cut government spending by trillions of dollars, and government-assisted health care programs are among their first targets. Earlier this month, a House Budget Committee memo and detailed list, both obtained by Politico, laid out potential budget cuts, including savings of up to $2.3 trillion from funding for Medicaid, the government program that provides health insurance for low-income adults and children; and an additional $1 trillion or so in other cuts from Medicare, the equivalent federal program for older adults, and other health care-related programs.
“Health care generally wasn't the top issue voters considered when casting their votes in November, as their concerns over the economy and immigration propelled Trump back into office. Nonetheless, voters across the political spectrum are broadly unhappy with the state of health care and health insurance. A recent poll from PerryUndem/YouGov dove into how exactly Americans felt about the U.S. health care system and some of the proposed cuts put forth by Republicans.* The results show that Americans share Kennedy's anger at the health care system — 39 percent said they were very frustrated and 38 percent said they were somewhat frustrated with the state of the current health care system.
“But while Americans in the survey agreed with Kennedy that health care costs are too high and the health care system needs changes, they decidedly did not agree with where he pointed the blame; government-sponsored health care programs like Medicaid remain widely popular.”

Polling shows Medicaid and other federal health programs are widely popular.