#35 • A Healthy Dose of Healthcare News • June 25, 2021
The CDC links myocarditis cases to vaccines, Missouri's Medicaid expansion is struck down, 2 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes had COVID, Medicaid has a record 80m beneficiaries, and more
Hospitals and public employers are moving to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for their employees, but unions are arguing that workers should have the right to make their own medical decisions. Meanwhile, the White House acknowledged that the President’s goal of vaccinating 70% of the population by July 4 is unattainable.
As an aside, I wrote about the Supreme Court ruling upholding Obamacare and the consequences thereof at the Orange County Register.
In this edition, you will read about:
#35.1. The link between the vaccine and myocarditis according to the CDC,
#35.2. Missouri’s Medicaid expansion judged unconstitutional,
#35.3. Two in five Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes with COVID,
#35.4. An all-time high of 80 million Medicaid enrollees, and
#35.5. The VA to cover sex-reassignment surgeries.
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#35.1. CDC Advisory Group Says ‘Likely Association’ Between mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines and Rare Myocarditis Cases (Wall Street Journal)
The CDC just stated that there was a likely association between the COVID-19 vaccine and myocarditis cases. Israel first sounded the alarm in April about the increased incidence of myocarditis among young people, men in particular, who received the COVID-19 vaccine. In the US, at least 323 people had myocarditis or pericarditis after getting the shots, of which 309 were hospitalized, and some haven’t been discharged yet. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is an inflammation of the tissues around the heart. The CDC stated that, because there has only been a few hundred incidences of the conditions among the hundreds of millions of people vaccinated against COVID, the vaccine continues to be deemed safe.
#35.2. Judge strikes down Missouri Medicaid expansion as unconstitutional (Missouri Independent)
I noted in May (AHDoHN #29.2.) that Missouri Governor Mike Parson had withdrawn the state’s expansion plans after the legislature failed to appropriate funds for it. This past Wednesday, a judge ruled that the amendment was unconstitutional since it didn’t include a funding mechanism. The plaintiffs, three of the some 275,000 Missourians who would have been able to enroll in Medicaid on July 1st had the amendment gone through, will file an appeal. Eligibility would have been granted to people who earn 138% of the federal poverty line or less. According to the Missouri Independent:
That is $17,774 a year for a single person, equal to working about 33 hours a week at the state minimum wage of $10.30 per hour. For a household of four, the limit is $36,570, the income of one person working full at $17.58 an hour or two people working a combined 68 hours a week at minimum wage.
#34.3. COVID-19 Had a Devastating Impact on Medicare Beneficiaries in Nursing Homes During 2020 (Office of the Inspector General, HHS)
The OIG just released a data snapshot of the impact of COVID-19 on nursing home residents. The overall mortality rate in nursing homes rose 32% in 2020. Of note, 2 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries living in nursing homes had or likely had COVID-19. Of the 3.1 million Medicare beneficiaries reside in nursing homes, 765,594 had a confirmed case of COVID-19, and 532,901 had a likely diagnosis.
Cases were higher in November and December than in any other month in 2020.
#35.4. Medicaid is officially bigger than ever. What does its future hold? (Advisory Board)
According to CMS data, 80 million people are now enrolled in Medicaid. And according to the New York Times, that’s a 14% increase between Feb. 1, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2021. The increase is largely driven by enrollment in Medicaid, not the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This represents a break from previous spikes in enrollment, which were usually driven by children. Indeed, this time around, it is in states that expanded Medicaid that enrollment grew the fastest.
#35.5. VA takes first steps toward offering gender-confirmation surgeries, overturning 2013 ban, Secretary Denis McDonough announces (Orlando Sentinel)
At a Pride Month event in Orland, FL on Saturday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough vowed to create a “safe and caring” space for all veterans by announcing the US Department of Veterans Affairs’ intention to provide sex-reassignment surgery, “thus allowing transgender vets to go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side.” VA’s expansion plans for the provision of such surgeries will take about two years, with federal rules expected to change this summer. Tax payers currently fund VA beneficiaries’ mental-health services and sex-change hormones.
Job openings:
Healthcare Program Manager @ a boutique consulting firm. 10 years of Program Management experience and 4 years of BPM and/or RPA implementation experience. Message me on LinkedIn for more information.
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