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What We're Reading: Replacing the ACA and Opioid Addiction Treatment
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What we're reading, October 14, 2015: Jeb Bush offers a detailed proposal for his plan to replace parts of the Affordable Care Act, California places a cap on out-of-pocket costs for consumers, and people addicted to opioids can't get the treatment they need.
Jeb Bush Offers Plan to Replace Obamacare
Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush has outlined a proposal to replace most of the Affordable Care Act, a pledge often invoked by the GOP. His plan would rely on low-cost catastrophic plans that would reduce premiums but could leave consumers with fewer benefits, and he would loosen the guarantee of coverage regardless of pre-exiting conditions. Overall, his plan gives states more authority over health insurance regulation and more discretion over healthcare and rolls back many federal standards set by the law, according to New York Times.
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California Increases Healthcare Protections for Consumers
A new law in California caps consumer out-of-pocket costs for a single 30-day outpatient prescription at $250, except for those in high-deductible plans who would pay $500, reported Sacramento Business Journal. Covered California adopted such a rule in May, but the new law, signed by Governor Jerry Brown, applies it to the private sector, too.
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People Addicted to Opioids Often Can’t Get Needed Treatment
Nearly 80% of Americans who are addicted to opioids, like heroin or painkillers, are not getting treatment, according to a study published in JAMA. The most common treatments for opioid addiction are self-help groups and outpatient methadone clinics, but only 22% of addicts received any kind of treatment from 2009 to 2013, and many places lack sufficient drug-treatment programs, reported The Atlantic.
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