Newsletter December2019
INDUSTRY HEADLINES December 2019
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Trump administration to deny visas to immigrants who can’t prove they can pay for healthcare
CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-to-deny-visas-to-immigrants-who-cant-prove-they-can-pay-for-health-care/
In its latest crackdown on legal immigration, the Trump administration announced Friday it is planning to reject visa applications from immigrants the government determines will not be able to pay for health insurance or cover health care costs in the U.S. The new requirement is set to go into effect November 3. In a late-night proclamation signed by President Trump, the White House said the government will only accept immigrant visa petitions made abroad if the applicants demonstrate that they will have the ability to secure health insurance within a month of their arrival in the U.S. If that’s not possible, then petitioners would need to prove they have the financial resources to pay “reasonably foreseeable medical costs” — a standard not defined in the order.
Trump’s new order for Medicare packs potential rise in patients’ costs
Kaiser Health News
https://khn.org/news/trump-executive-order-medicare-surprise-billing/
Vowing to protect Medicare with “every ounce of strength,” President Donald Trump last week spoke to a cheering crowd in Florida. But his executive order released shortly afterward includes provisions that could significantly alter key pillars of the program by making it easier for beneficiaries and doctors to opt out. The bottom line: The proposed changes might make it a bit simpler to find a doctor who takes new Medicare patients, but it could lead to higher costs for seniors and potentially expose some to surprise medical bills, a problem from which Medicare has traditionally protected consumers.
Wasteful spending in U.S. healthcare estimated at $760 billion to $935 billion
Health Leaders Media
https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/clinical-care/wasteful-spending-us-healthcare-estimated-760-billion-935-billion
Waste accounts for about 25% of U.S. healthcare spending, new research indicates. No other country spends more on healthcare than the United States, with the gross domestic product share of healthcare spending estimated at nearly 18% and rising. Earlier research on U.S. healthcare spending has estimated that waste accounts for about 30% of the spending total.
Courtesy Healthcare News from the Desk of Kevin McPeak,
Global Sales Director, ISI. kmcpeak@isiww.com P: 610.716.0400
