Should Medicare Policies Made in Light of COVID-19 Be Permanent?
Medicare coverage rules have undergone a multitude of changes since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide more flexibility in responding to the public health emergency. A new issue brief by Jennifer Podulka and Jonathan Blum of Health Management Associates examines 212 legislative and regulatory changes, ranging from expanded telehealth reimbursement to allowing hospitals to temporarily provide services in alternative care sites, and weighs the benefits and risks of making some of them permanent.
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Leaving Prison or Jail Shouldn’t Mean Losing Health Care
When people leave jail or prison, they need help transitioning back to life on the outside, including getting access to health care. The Commonwealth Fund’s Shanoor Seervai interviewed care managers who run “in-reach” programs to learn how they help former inmates enroll in Medicaid and navigate the many challenges they face — from getting to doctors’ appointments to learning how to use a cellphone.
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International Survey: COVID-19 Takes Mental, Economic Toll on U.S. Adults
Americans are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic — both mentally and economically — more than residents of many other nations. Findings from a new Commonwealth Fund survey of people’s experiences in 10 high-income countries during the first months of COVID-19 show that Americans are the most likely to have mental health concerns. And compared to other nations, a greater proportion have suffered negative economic impacts due to the pandemic.
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What Should Telemedicine Look Like After the Pandemic?
Telemedicine has played a critical role in the COVID-19 response, allowing patients to receive care remotely. Should policies that have encouraged telemedicine’s use during the pandemic become permanent? A new brief by Ateev Mehrotra, M.D., and colleagues recommends that such decisions should be based on whether policies increase access to care — especially for high-risk patients with limited access to providers — while limiting both excessive use and the potential for fraud.
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Women in the U.S. Are More Likely Than Men to Forgo Medicines Because of Cost
A new Health Affairs study analyzing data from the Commonwealth Fund’s International Health Policy Survey finds that women are more likely than men to forgo needed medicines because of a lack of financial resources.
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