AHIP’s Post

Paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin,”an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Preventive care services are essential for halting or slowing the progression of various diseases and conditions, and evidenced based nutrition care plays an important role, particularly for conditions such as heart disease, pre-diabetes/diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Medical nutrition therapy (#MNT) delivered by #RDN is a preventive care service under #Medicare and has been shown to be an efficitive tool to prevent, treat and manage many of these conditions. #dietitians #preventivecare #nutrition 🙌🏻

“One significant way to enhance Americans’ health is to increase the uptake of high-value evidence-based clinical preventive services, which can help detect diseases early.” Love this so much. While the ACA has made preventive services more affordable for most, we still have much work to do to continue improving awareness, access, and connection back to high quality primary care. Here’s to each of us being part of that “last mile” that connects the policy and the evidence to the care people receive. Together we can advance preventive services and reduce health disparities.

Interested in recent health policy research? Check out Research Roundup! In April, we read studies that evaluated the cost and health equity implications of public option plans and provider price regulation. We also got caught up on self-reported insurance coverage during the Medicaid unwinding.

Petition Update: Help Us Reach Our Goal for Expanding Insurance Coverage for Functional Medicine & Microbiome Health! Dear Supporters, First and foremost, thank you for your incredible support! We are thrilled to have 329 signatures so far in our campaign to expand insurance coverage for functional medicine and microbiome health. Your commitment is inspiring and essential in driving this crucial change. However, we still have a long way to go to reach our goal of 1000 signatures by August 31st. We need your help to amplify our message and gather more support. Here’s how you can help: Share on Social Media: • Facebook: Post a link to the petition on your timeline and encourage friends and family to sign and share. • Twitter: Tweet about the petition, tag relevant influencers, and use hashtags like #FunctionalMedicine #MicrobiomeHealth #HealthCareReform. • Instagram: Share a story or post with the petition link and a personal message about why this cause matters to you. • LinkedIn: Write a brief post on LinkedIn explaining the petition and its importance, and invite your network to sign. Email Friends and Family: • Send a quick email to your contacts explaining the petition and its goals, and ask them to support by signing and sharing. Community Groups: • Share the petition in any relevant online communities or forums you are part of, such as health and wellness groups, local community boards, or specialized interest groups. Your voice is powerful, and with your help, we can reach 1000 signatures and make a significant impact on insurance coverage for functional medicine and microbiome health. Let’s show the strength of our community and drive the change we want to see. Sign and Share the Petition Here: https://lnkd.in/eXpVRVSF Thank you again for your unwavering support. Together, we can make this happen! Warm regards, Dan Stillman Info@holisticwellcareadvisers.com #FunctionalMedicine #IntegrativeMedicine #HolisticHealth #MicrobiomeHealth #HealthCareReform #PreventiveMedicine #Wellness #HealthAdvocacy #PatientCare #LifestyleMedicine #MarkHyman

Study finds that those without private health insurance or in poor self rated general health are facing significant barriers to accessing eyecare. Health insurers put enormous effort into helping their members get fast and affordable access to high quality care. Delaying treatmentment can have long term consequences. During the March 2024 quarter, health insurers paid out a staggering $274.9 million in benefits to their members for eyecare. Members Health Fund Alliance #memberowned #mhfa #healthcare #healthfund #healthinsurance #peoplenotprofits #auspol #optical #eyecare

The number of individuals—with employer-sponsored health coverage—who have trouble accessing their specialty medications is a huge problem.    We’re talking about medications prescribed to them by their healthcare providers to help treat their serious, chronic, or rare disease. These medications should be deemed an essential health benefit with their costs covered by health plans.     Yet a recent poll from the PAN Foundation revealed that’s not always the case, not by a long shot.    Findings from our national poll:    - 1 in 4 respondents covered by commercial insurance say their plan has told them that the specialty medication they need access to is a “non-essential health benefit.”    - Nearly 1 in 3 respondents covered by commercial insurance say they have been referred to an external company by their plan to help them find financial assistance for their specialty medication.    - Nearly 1 in 3 respondents covered by commercial insurance have been told the financial aid they receive for their specialty medication will not count toward their deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.    Copay accumulators, maximizers, and alternative funding programs (AFPs) lead to increased out-of-pocket costs for those with serious illnesses. It's time for federal agencies and Congress to step in.    We urge policymakers to put an end to these harmful programs and require health plans to deem all prescription medications, including specialty medications, as essential.  Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ghcHYTK4 

Did You Know???? What health risks are linked to poor oral hygiene and their impact on health outcomes? In the article below the Benevis white paper explores the ripple effect of poor oral health, extending beyond the healthcare system to impact education, workforce productivity, and economic disparities. It emphasizes the need for affordable dental coverage, highlighting that an estimated 67 million Americans—nearly a quarter of the population—lack dental insurance. That is more than double the estimated 26 million Americans without health insurance, according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2021 report. #oralhealth #healthequity #publichealth #dentalhygiene #disparities

With ~10% of the population being uninsured and a large part of the insured population still not seeking care due to co-pays and deductibles, transparency is a necessity. This is especially true when you consider that ~20% of hospitalizations are observation status, which basically means you are billed as an outpatient with the extra and exorbitant facility fees. When there isn’t transparency and facilities increase their prices, it also drives even the higher quality systems to increase their own. This inevitably increases insurance premiums which only exacerbates the disparity in the argument of affordable care versus affordable insurance. Drug price transparency is also a huge issue. I once saw a bill charging $25 for a single oral Tylenol given as premedication. Recently, I wanted to discharge a patient whom needed oral vancomycin and his insurance wanted prior authorization. It was a weekend and we couldn’t reach the right people(another big issue) before pharmacies would close for the day so we ran the price without insurance. For a 9 day supply of oral vancomycin (used since the late 1950s) one pharmacy’s price was nearly $750! We ended up sending it to another pharmacy where the same prescription was filled for $74. A 10x price differential! Something has got to give.

Join Inclusive Alliance tomorrow (Wednesday May 15th ) at 12PM to learn more about the Community Care Hub that we are building to enhance CBO capacity, strengthen collaboration between health and social care, and expand access to services that address health-related social needs for all community members.   What You'll Learn: ☑ What a Community Care Hub is and how it benefits the health of individuals most at risk in our communities ☑How your organization can benefit from participating in the Community Care Hub ☑Common challenges faced by health & social care providers not part of a Community Care Hub ☑Planned initial programs of Inclusive Alliance’s CCH ☑How to Participate: Next steps and getting involved Who Should Attend? ☑Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) that offer evidence-based programs not reimbursed through billing health insurance ☑Healthcare Providers, Hospitals, and Behavioral Health Professionals looking to integrate social care services into their patient care models. ☑Health Insurance Companies aiming to partner with CBOs or Community Care Hubs for broader community health initiatives Register now to learn more about the Community Care Hub and how to make social care services accessible and reimbursable in our community. https://lnkd.in/gsmtvwX6