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California Aims to Address the ‘Urgent’ Needs of Older Residents. But Will Its Plan Work?
This story also ran on U.S. News & World Report. It can be republished for free. Even as the pandemic derailed some of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s biggest health care proposals, such as lowering prescription drug costs, it crystallized another: the pressing need to address California’s rapidly aging population. Already nine months into their work when Newsom issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order last March, members of a state task force on aging watched as the coronavirus disproportionately sickened and killed older people, and left many isolated in nursing homes, assisted living faci...
Kaiser Health News
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California Aims to Address the ‘Urgent’ Needs of Older Residents. But Will Its Plan Work?
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. Even as the pandemic derailed some of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s biggest health care proposals, such as lowering prescription drug costs, it crystallized another: the pressing need to address California’s rapidly aging population. Already nine months into their work when Newsom issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order last March, members of a state task force on aging watched as the coronavirus disproportionately sickened and killed older people, and left many isolated in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and their own homes. “In m...
California Healthline
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‘An Arm and a Leg’: Viral TikTok Video Serves Up Recipe to ‘Crush’ Medical Debt
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen. Jared Walker, who runs a nonprofit that helps people pay medical bills, posted a TikTok video explaining the recipe to “crush” hospital bills via charity care policies. “What that means is that if you make under a certain amount of money, the hospital legally has to forgive your medical bills,” Walker said in the video. The video has been viewed more than 10 million times. Walker’s organization, Dollar For, had already helped wipe out millions in medical bills before he posted that video. Internal Revenue Service filings from thousands of nonpr...
Kaiser Health News
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‘An Arm and a Leg’: Viral TikTok Video Serves Up Recipe to ‘Crush’ Medical Debt
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen. Jared Walker, who runs a nonprofit that helps people pay medical bills, posted a TikTok video explaining the recipe to “crush” hospital bills via charity care policies. “What that means is that if you make under a certain amount of money, the hospital legally has to forgive your medical bills,” Walker said in the video. The video has been viewed more than 10 million times. Walker’s organization, Dollar For, had already helped wipe out millions in medical bills before he posted that video. Internal Revenue Service filings from thousands of nonpr...
California Healthline
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As Drug Prices Keep Rising, State Lawmakers Propose Tough New Bills to Curb Them
Use Our Content It can be republished for free. Fed up with a lack of federal action to lower prescription drug costs, state legislators around the country are pushing bills to penalize drugmakers for unjustified price hikes and to cap payment at much-lower Canadian levels. These bills, sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats in a half-dozen states, are a response to consumers’ intensified demand for action on drug prices as prospects for solutions from Congress remain highly uncertain. Eighty-seven percent of Americans favor federal action to lower drug prices, making it the public’s seco...
Kaiser Health News
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As Drug Prices Keep Rising, State Lawmakers Propose Tough New Bills to Curb Them
Fed up with a lack of federal action to lower prescription drug costs, state legislators around the country are pushing bills to penalize drugmakers for unjustified price hikes and to cap payment at much-lower Canadian levels. These bills, sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats in a half-dozen states, are a response to consumers’ intensified demand for action on drug prices as prospects for solutions from Congress remain highly uncertain. Eighty-seven percent of Americans favor federal action to lower drug prices, making it the public’s second-highest policy priority, according to a surve...
California Healthline
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‘An Arm and a Leg’: Tips for Fighting Medical Bills From a Former ‘Bad Guy’ Lawyer
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen. Lawyer Jeff Bloom used to be the person whom medical providers and debt collectors would hire to represent them in court. “I was a bad guy, for sure,” he said. Then, a few years ago, he switched sides. Bloom now represents consumers and, in this episode, shares what he knows. He said consumers have more rights than they may realize, although enforcing those rights may be tough. One other piece of advice: “Be a good guy. Don’t be threatening. Don’t yell at people,” Bloom said. “Judges are your audience. And if you’re a good guy, they may help yo...
Kaiser Health News
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‘An Arm and a Leg’: Tips for Fighting Medical Bills From a Former ‘Bad Guy’ Lawyer
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen. Lawyer Jeff Bloom used to be the person whom medical providers and debt collectors would hire to represent them in court. “I was a bad guy, for sure,” he said. Then, a few years ago, he switched sides. Bloom now represents consumers and, in this episode, shares what he knows. He said consumers have more rights than they may realize, although enforcing those rights may be tough. One other piece of advice: “Be a good guy. Don’t be threatening. Don’t yell at people,” Bloom said. “Judges are your audience. And if you’re a good guy, they may help yo...
California Healthline
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4 Vital Health Issues — Not Tied to Covid — That Congress Addressed in Massive Spending Bill
This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free. Late last month, before President Joe Biden took office and proposed his pandemic relief plan, Congress passed a nearly 5,600-page legislative package that provided some pandemic relief along with its more general allocations to fund the government in 2021. While the $900 billion that lawmakers included for urgent pandemic relief got most of the attention, some even bigger changes for health care were buried in the other parts of that huge legislative package. The bundle included a ban on surprise medical bills, for example — a proble...
Kaiser Health News
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4 Vital Health Issues — Not Tied to Covid — That Congress Addressed in Massive Spending Bill
This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free. Late last month, before President Joe Biden took office and proposed his pandemic relief plan, Congress passed a nearly 5,600-page legislative package that provided some pandemic relief along with its more general allocations to fund the government in 2021. While the $900 billion that lawmakers included for urgent pandemic relief got most of the attention, some even bigger changes for health care were buried in the other parts of that huge legislative package. The bundle included a ban on surprise medical bills, for example — a proble...
California Healthline
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