What We’re Reading: Cancer Moonshot Update; ACA Premiums Increasing; Medicaid Coverage Protection Ending

White House to Implement National Cancer Plan

As part of Cancer Moonshot, federal health officials have announced that the Biden administration is preparing to roll out the National Cancer Plan to help reduce cancer mortality, prevent cancer, and maximize quality of life—among the new program’s 8 goals—according to The Hill. The framework provided under the new plan is meant to be a collaborative initiative, “across the federal government and all of society,” with aspirations that include pursuing new vaccines to prevent cancer, eliminating tobacco exposure, and maximizing equitable treatment access.

Inflation Increases ACA Premiums 3.4%

A new report from the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found inflation and higher health care spending contributed to monthly Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums rising an average of 3.5% between 2022 and 2023, according to Axios. With more commercial insurers entering the marketplace in 2023, competition is driving up premiums as companies such as UnitedHealth and Aetna compete to offer customers the cheapest market prices. Furthermore, inflation is likely to play a role in determining 2024 marketplace rates, with labor costs showing no signs of going down, the report noted.

Millions May Lose Medicaid Coverage as Pandemic Protections End

About 15 million individuals are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage, as COVID-19 pandemic protections come to an end, according to The New York Times. The federal government also estimates that about 7 million Medicaid recipients could be dropped from the program, even though they still are eligible and that nearly half of people losing coverage will be Black or Hispanic.