Getting traction in the news is a great way to influence public policy, but it’s challenging when everyone is talking about something else. The speed of the news cycle, the media’s short attention span, particularly on complex issues, can make it hard to start a conversation with a reporter — especially now. Health care is …
Category: Health Care News
Health Centers Serving More Medicaid Patients Than Ever
Community Health Centers are serving more Medicaid patients than ever. A NACHC analysis reveals that in 2018 health centers served 1 in 5 Medicaid beneficiaries (up from 1 in 6 in 2018, or roughly 14 million people). As the nation’s largest network of safety net primary care providers, health centers serve a large and growing …
Fighting Breast Cancer Without Insurance
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their life – many of them will survive with the help of early diagnosis and treatment. This year, it’s estimated that 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women. After a diagnosis, health insurance coverage is integral …
Tennessee releases Medicaid block grant proposal
NACHC Deputy Director of State Affairs Susan Sumrell contributed to this blog post. States are continuing to test the limits of Medicaid waiver flexibility made available to them under the Trump administration. While Alaska, Texas and Georgia are reportedly exploring ways to reform their Medicaid programs, including through the use of block grants, others, like …
More People Are Uninsured
Some sobering news from the U.S. Census: the number of people without health insurance is growing for the first time in 10 years. The number jumped to 27.5 million, up from 25.6 million in 2017 — or 7.9 percent in 2017 to 8.5 percent in 2018. It was also the first year-to-year increase in uninsured …
Veterans Get More Options for Care
As a result of the MISSION Act signed into law last year with bipartisan support, the Veterans Administration has established the Veterans Community Care Program, which will offer veterans expanded care options from non-VA providers including Community Health Centers. Under the new program, veterans facing a wait of 20 days or more, or who must …
National HIV Testing Day
National HIV Testing Day is June 27th. On this annual observance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging people to get tested for HIV, know their status, and get into treatment right away if they have HIV. The theme is #DoingItMyWay, a call to action for people to get tested in a …
Rural Americans Struggle with Access to Care
Many rural Americans are struggling with access to health care, according to a new poll that National Public Radio has done with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The poll focused on everyday life in rural America, including economic security, but it was the findings on health …
Addressing America’s Maternal Health Crisis
Today’s guest blog post is by NACHC intern Eskedar Girmash. We asked NACHC staff to describe their mothers. Responses included: brave, strong, kind, funny, selfless, young spirited, and loving. Mothers are an integral part of our lives and we’re excited to celebrate them this coming Sunday. Along with the observance of Mother’s Day, we would …
CMS Unveils New Initiative to Overhaul Primary Care
This post has been updated with new information. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the CMS Primary Cares Initiative, with the goal of improving patient care while managing health care costs. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar described the move as “a historic turning point” in press reports. He …