Moyle v United States centers on whether emergency medical law supersedes state abortion laws; Change Healthcare’s CEO will testify regarding the cyberattack’s impact; public health officials warn of potential threat as bird flu virus spreads in mammals.
Supreme Court to Weigh EMTALA's Reach in Abortion Cases
The US Supreme Court will hear arguments this week in Moyle v United States regarding whether states can enforce stricter abortion laws despite the requirement under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to provide stabilizing care, according to Slate. EMTALA is a federal law that requires stabilizing care for all patients in emergency departments, including abortion care. Emergency care specialists have emphasized the importance of timely interventions to prevent life-threatening emergencies and challenge the idea of prioritizing fetal life over maternal well-being within the context of EMTALA's requirements.
Change Healthcare Cyberattack Prompts Congressional Hearing
Amid the fallout from the recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare, which disrupted payments to health care facilities nationwide for a month, parent company UnitedHealthcare's CEO Andrew Witty will testify before a US House subcommittee on May 1, according to Reuters. The company reported that the attack has already cost it $870 million and that leaders expect the final expense to total at least $1 billion this year, Kaiser Health News reports. Despite UnitedHealth's efforts to restore services, providers remain burdened by the disruption, with some resorting to loans to cover expenses.
WHO Expresses Concern Over Bird Flu Outbreak
The recent outbreak of bird flu, particularly the Type A H5N1 strain, is of “great concern” as the virus spreads to mammals, including cattle and humans, said Jeremy Farrar, MBBS, chief scientist at the World Health Organization, according to USA Today. While the risk of human-to-human transmission remains low, experts warned of the potential for a pandemic if the virus mutates. Vaccine development efforts are underway, but challenges persist, and public health officials have called for improved diagnostic capabilities and rapid response strategies.
A new federal rule will enable thousands of immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to obtain health care through the Affordable Care Act; a forthcoming CMS rule is expected to lower home-based care wait times and raise caregiver wages; the HHS Office for Civil Rights has finalized 2 rules that strengthen the ACA’s health care discrimination ban.
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
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Bringing Connectivity to the Specialty Pharmacy Workflow
May 2nd 2024In a session during the final full day of conference activity at AXS24, experts from CVS Health and Surescripts emphasized the need to simplify the prescribing workflow for specialty medication through proactive messaging, automation, and interoperability.
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