A new report evaluates programs at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and finds that uninsured rates among adults under age 65 in rural areas have fallen substantially since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), from 23.8 percent in 2010 to 12.6 percent in 2023.  Uninsured rates among rural residents are much higher in states that have not yet expanded Medicaid, and analysts acknowledge ongoing disparities in health outcomes between rural and urban areas.  Research has shown, for instance, disparities in maternal outcomes, behavioral and mental health outcomes, risk factors for chronic disease such as obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease as well as in potentially harmful health behaviors such as smoking and physical inactivity, to name a few.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released new data showing that nearly 1.5 million people with Medicare Part D saved nearly $1 billion in out-of-pocket prescription drugs costs in the first half of 2024 because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, some people with high drug costs have their out-of-pocket drug costs capped at around $3,500 in 2024. Next year that cap lowers to $2,000 for everyone with Medicare Part D. The report shows that if the $2,000 cap had been in effect this year, 4.6 million enrollees would have hit the cap by June 30 and would not have to pay any more out-of-pocket costs for the rest of the year. Learn more here.

The president-elect campaigned on promises to shake up public health institutions, reshape federal health programs, and slash high costs across the system. Trump has said he’s ready for campaign lieutenants like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “go wild” on health, medicine, and food policy. Read more.

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued a recommendation for people 65 years and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised to receive a second dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose. See the announcement on CDC’s Newsroom website. CDC’s upcoming Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity call also relates to respiratory virus. The upcoming call, 2024-2025 Recommendations for Influenza Prevention and Treatment in Children: An Update for Pediatric Providers, is Thursday, Nov. 14 from 2:00-3:00 pm. Join the day of the session. **CE credits available** Visit the call webpage for call-in info and more details.

In January 2024, the commonwealth launched PA Navigate, a new website that connects residents to community organizations, government agencies and health care providers for access to resources for basic needs, such as food, housing, and childcare. Read more In efforts to educate the community, a PA Navigate flyer was developed if you’d like to share within your community.

Pennsylvania has joined several interstate licensing compacts and is poised to join numerous others. Interstate compacts provide flexibility for trained professionals to practice where they want and where they are needed. However, the regulatory process in Pennsylvania to enact these licenses is long and arduous. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Act 119, to give licensing boards the agility they need to get compacts up and running in a timely manner. The Act grants boards that are subject to an interstate licensure compact the power to promulgate temporary rules for compact implementation. Licensing boards would still be required to use the full regulatory process to establish permanent guidelines. Temporary regulations promulgated under this legislation would expire after three years.

Medical debt is an issue that disproportionately impacts rural Pennsylvanians. Efforts to reduce medical debt have been thwarted by legislators representing those communities. Read more.

Reality has again failed to support the spin surrounding the 340B Drug Pricing Program. For 2023, discounted purchases under the 340B program reached a record $66.3 billion—an astounding $12.6 billion (+23.4%) higher than its 2022 counterpart. The gross-to-net difference between list prices and discounted 340B purchases also grew, to $57.8 billion (+$5.5 billion). 340B purchases are now almost 40% larger than Medicaid’s prescription drug purchases. Hospitals again accounted for 87% of 340B purchases for 2023. Purchases at every 340B covered entity type grew, despite drug prices that grew more slowly than overall inflation. Read the article for full details and our analysis.

Medicare Open Enrollment runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. CMS has released resources for partners to use when encouraging patients to review their Medicare plan. Key resources includes an open enrollment and social media toolkit.