PASADENA, Calif - El Representante Republicano Tom Price, de Georgia, inicia hoy su primera semana completa como Secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos (“Health and Human Services”). Y varios defensores de Medicare, como la AARP California, aprovechan el momento para llamar la atención sobre el hecho de que no quieren que el congreso ni la nueva administración le pongan parches a este crucial programa.

Tom Price, republicano de Georgia, llega al Congreso bajo fuego demócrata por su franca disposición de pasar nuevamente los costos de la atención de la salud a los beneficiarios.

50 millones de estadounidenses dependen de Medicare -incluidos 5 millones en California- para pagar sus medicamentos, consultas médicas y hospitalizaciones.

Hilda Delgado, gerente de comunicaciones sobre Medicare, en la AARP California, dice que su organización hace un llamado a la gente para que ponga atención a los planes potenciales de privatizar o modificar este programa.

“Los trabajadores se han ganado estos beneficios pagando el programa a lo largo de toda su vida laboral. Así que hacemos un llamado urgente sobre este tema no sólo a nuestros socios del estado, sino a todos los californianos, para que se involucren y descubran lo que está pasando.”

Los defensores no saben aún los detalles de las reformas que se están proponiendo, pero la AARP dijo en una declaración escrita que un sistema de vales o cupones, propuesta que se menciona frecuentemente, “aumentaría dramáticamente los costos de cuidar la salud y los riesgos, a los jubilados actuales y futuros.”

Los defensores se quieren asegurar de que la nueva administración sepa que están listos para defender el programa, y que han estado presentando peticiones a los legisladores y al público mismo, desde el pasado mes de enero.

“Queremos asegurar que la gente reciba lo que se les prometió”

En una carta reciente a los miembros del Congreso, la AARP afirmó que se “objetaría cambios a la ley actual que reduzcan prestaciones, aumenten costos o reduzcan la posibilidad de que estos programas críticos cumplan sus promesas de beneficio.

Campaña de la AARP: aarp.org.


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A new report found New York hospitals are in a precarious financial state.

The New York State Hospitals Fiscal Survey Report showed statewide hospitals are projecting an operating budget margin of 0.0% percent. While it is a slight improvement, hospital administrators said it is still insufficient for hospitals to handle patient care.

Bea Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State, said government reimbursements do not cover the costs of administering health care.

"Those reimbursements are fixed and do not change," Grause pointed out. "They grow a little bit year over year but they're not keeping up with the expense growth that all hospitals are experiencing."

She noted hospitals cannot raise their commercial expenses with the expectation it will make up the difference, arguing the best way to help hospitals is to close the gap on Medicare and Medicaid payments so they keep up with expense growth. Prescription drugs are the largest continuously increasing expense hospitals face since such prices run 83% above the rate of inflation.

Staffing issues are being exacerbated by New York hospital's fiscal challenges. The report found labor expenses have grown more than 36% since 2019. While it is the second year of declining contract labor expenditures, they are double what they were in 2019.

Grause emphasized not having sufficient staff can affect the services hospitals offer.

"If a hospital is going to have a dialysis unit, you need a nephrologist. You'd probably need more than one nephrologist," Grause observed. "But you also need specially trained nurses, you need the right equipment, you need all the medication, you need the IV solution and the peritoneal solution."

Another factor in hospitals' declining operating margins is insurer demands. The report showed some surveyed hospitals project insurers' actions will cut their 2024 operating revenues by 5% or more. Estimates showed it would result in $1.3 billion or more in lost revenue for the hospitals.


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More than half of North Carolina counties have fewer than four dentists per 10,000 people and a few counties have no dentists at all.

The North Carolina Dental Society Foundation is stepping up to meet those residents where they are, for essential dental services.

Dr. Amanda Stroud, dental director and chief dental officer for AppHealthCare and a member of the foundation board, said she sees the need firsthand. She explained the biggest barriers are lack of dental insurance, affordability and the ability to get timely appointments.

"It may be that someone has to wait six to nine months for a dental appointment when they may be having tooth pain," Stroud observed. "And it may be that once they get that appointment, that appointment's just for a planning process and not always something that can help treat the pain or manage the dental issues."

Stroud noted such challenges affect a significant number of people, particularly in rural parts of the state. So, the foundation supports programs like "Give Kids a Smile" and the "Missions of Mercy" clinics, to provide free oral health services.

Stroud emphasized the events are supported by fundraising efforts, like an annual golf challenge. Dentists from across the state volunteer to perform extractions, fillings and cleanings and sometimes offering lifesaving care.

"You can have a dental infection that becomes something that is a cause of death for the patient," Stroud pointed out. "And that's happened in the United States. And you don't want to think about that happening in the United States, but it has."

Sharon D'Costa, fund development and program director for the foundation, said the efforts so far have reached nearly 73,000 patients. Beyond direct care, she stressed they are helping to expand the dental workforce in the state.

"We're working with community colleges to kind of provide students with scholarships," D'Costa outlined. "We're also initiating new programs, we're incentivizing faculty to stay in their jobs as well as get new faculty to take on roles teaching dental assisting and dental hygiene students."

D'Costa added the foundation awards grants and recognizes public health efforts to improve access to dental care. She acknowledged it is challenging to mobilize volunteers and secure funding but strong community partnerships help the foundation improve its impact.

Access to reduced-price medication is vital for many low-income rural Tennesseans and the clinics serving them are concerned about potential cuts to a program that helps with drug costs.

The 340B program allows safety-net providers, like community health centers, to purchase outpatient medications at discounted rates.

Emily Waitt Hise, policy and advocacy manager for the Tennessee Primary Care Association, said the savings are crucial.

"The 340B program allows health center patients to receive the care they need to attain their highest level of health," Waitt Hise asserted. "It ensures that all patients can receive the lifesaving medications they need to manage chronic conditions, like diabetes or high cholesterol."

She pointed out health centers are required to reinvest the savings from the program back into patient care, which helps them provide other services like pediatrics, behavioral and dental health and OB/GYN care. Health centers are concerned that the 340B program will be on the chopping block under the new administration.

Laura Harris, CEO of Chota Community Health Services, said the 340B program offers significant cost savings, which are passed on to low-income and uninsured patients. She noted the costs vary by drug but are generally minimal. Her organization did a recent patient survey, confirming the cost savings.

"This third patient said, 'Eliquis was going to cost me $500, because my insurance denied it. With the program, it only cost $50,'" Harris reported. "A fourth patient said, 'My inhaler was over $100, but I got it for $25.'"

Harris argued the biggest challenge with the program is the pharmaceutical manufacturers' contract pharmacy restrictions, which limit 340B pricing to one pharmacy. She added it forces patients on multiple medications to visit different pharmacies to fill their prescriptions, which is challenging in rural areas.