Policy Watch
Quick-hitting policy analysis, polling, and updates on the key issues facing the country.
Postpartum Individuals Are at Risk of Losing Medicaid During the Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision, Especially in Certain States
This policy watch discusses Medicaid unwinding and how enrollees who qualified for Medicaid through the pregnancy pathway are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage, particularly those living in states who have not implemented Medicaid expansion and have not extended postpartum Medicaid coverage.
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New Alzheimer’s Drugs Spark Hope for Patients and Cost Concerns for Medicare
This policy watch focuses on the implications of Medicare coverage of new Alzheimer’s drugs on program spending as well as equity and affordability issues for beneficiaries, and the potential for the Inflation Reduction Act to address the spending impacts.
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What Could New Anti-Obesity Drugs Mean for Medicare?
In this piece, we discuss Medicare coverage of obesity treatments, the potential cost implications if Medicare covers anti-obesity drugs, and how the Inflation Reduction Act could potentially address these cost concerns.
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Half of All Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries Are Now Enrolled in Private Medicare Advantage Plans
Recently released data show that Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, now covers half of eligible Medicare beneficiaries. As the role of Medicare Advantage grows, so will interest in understanding how well the program serves the increasingly diverse group of enrollees who receive their Medicare coverage from private insurers.
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Section 1115 Waiver Watch: Continuous Eligibility Waivers and Implications for Unwinding
How states manage the unwinding process could affect how many people are able to maintain coverage or transition to other coverage if they are no longer eligible. While all enrollees will need to undergo a renewal process during the unwinding, states can promote continuity of coverage after renewal by providing continuous eligibility to certain populations. This Waiver Watch summarizes approved and pending Section 1115 demonstration waivers in seven states with continuous eligibility provisions that could help minimize coverage loss.
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Update on the Status of Medication Abortion and the Courts
This policy watch explains the April 21, 2023 United States Supreme Court’s ruling on Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, a case challening the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, the medication abortion pill.
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