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What We're Reading: Nebraska Medicaid Expansion; Sepsis Study Pushback; Clover Health Expands
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Nebraska voters will decide on Medicaid expansion in November; a medical watchdog has called for a stop to a clinical trial for sepsis treatment; Medicare Advantage insurer Clover Health is expanding its health plans to 6 new markets.
Nebraska Puts Medicaid Expansion on the Ballot
A campaign to get Medicaid expansion on the ballot in Nebraska this November met all of its requirements, giving voters the decision to expand Medicaid to nearly 90,000 individuals. According to The Hill, Insure the Good Life, the ballot initiative committee, obtained 104,477 valid signatures, exceeding the signature requirement by more than 20,000. Nebraska marks the fourth state this year preparing to put Medicaid expansion on the ballot in November.
Medical Watchdog Calls for End to Sepsis Trial
As the National Institutes of Health continues to enroll patients in a clinical trial of sepsis treatment, medical watchdog Public Citizen is calling for the immediate halt of enrollment. The watchdog is also calling for an investigation into how the study received approval, arguing that it puts patients at risk of serious harm, STAT News reported. In a letter, it says the study's protocol is so "fundamentally flawed" that it will not produce reliable results.
Clover Health Launching MA Plan in 6 New Markets
Medicare Advantage (MA) insurer Clover Health announced a significant expansion with plans to enter 6 new markets in 2019. In the coming year, it will be offering its MA plans in El Paso, Texas; Camden, New Jersey; Charleston, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Tucson, Arizona. Clover Health also released results showing its technology has an 85% accuracy rate in identifying patients at risk of being admitted to the hospital in the next 28 days.
