Howard Gleckman Archives - Page 11 of 58

Medicare Won’t Pay for Controversial Alzheimer’s Drug Aduhelm Without A New Trial

In a key decision, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said today that Medicare will not pay for the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Adulhelm until it sees positive results from a government-approved trial. In bureaucratic language: “Monoclonal antibodies directed against amyloid for the treatment of [Alzheimer’s Disease] provided outside of the CMS approved randomized controlled trials and trials supported [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2022-01-11T17:46:04-05:00January 11th, 2022|dementia|0 Comments

No Referendum On Washington State’s Public Long-Term Care Insurance Program, But Chages Coming

An effort to repeal Washington State’s public long-term care insurance program failed to get enough signatures by the end-of-year deadline to make it on the November ballot. At the same time, Democrats, who control the state legislature, have introduced multiple bills aimed at delaying or revising the program. The state was scheduled to start collecting a mandatory 0.58 percent payroll [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2022-01-05T14:11:42-05:00January 5th, 2022|long term care reform|0 Comments

Even After Covid, Could Congress Ignore The Long-Term Care Needs Of Older Adults?

Is it possible that Congress will do nothing to improve long-term services and supports for older adults and younger people with disabilities or assist their families? Even after 603,000 people over age 65 were killed by Covid-19 in the past two years. Yes, it is possible. The House version of President Biden’s Build Back Better plan included many provisions aimed [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2022-01-03T12:29:47-05:00January 3rd, 2022|long term care reform|0 Comments

What’s Behind Biogen’s Move To Cut Prices On Its Controversial Alzheimer’s Drug Aduhelm?

This week, drugmaker Biogen made a stunning announcement: It is going to cut in half the price of its controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. Instead of selling the infusion drug for $56,000 annually to a typical user it will charge $28,000-a-year. It is, to say the least, unusual, for the maker of a potential blockbuster drug to cuts its price just [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2021-12-23T14:28:34-05:00December 23rd, 2021|dementia|0 Comments

Washington State Delays Public Long-Term Care Insurance Until April, Explores Changes

Facing a lawsuit and political opposition, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has delayed until April a payroll tax aimed at funding the state’s first-in-the-nation public long-term care insurance program. Inslee said the delay will give the legislature time to address what he called “areas that need adjustment.” A state long-term care commission advising the legislature and governor will recommend a [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2021-12-20T10:08:31-05:00December 20th, 2021|long-term care insurance, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Is Supporting Family Caregivers Good For the Economy?

The congressional proposal to increase federal funding for Medicaid’s home and community-based (HCBS) long-term care program likely would benefit the US economy, although it could increase costs for those not receiving Medicaid. The HCBS expansion is included in the current House version of President Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) social spending, climate, and tax plan. Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV) and [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2021-12-14T15:17:20-05:00December 14th, 2021|family caregivers|0 Comments

Market And Political Pressures Grow On Skilled Nursing Facilities

The covid-19 pandemic drove a collapse in both patient volume and revenue for post-acute care in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). And while patient numbers have increased modestly since the worst of the pandemic, they remain far below 2019 and probably are financially unsustainable for the SNFs. At the same time, bipartisan federal legislation in the House and Senate would create [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2021-12-02T11:14:37-05:00December 2nd, 2021|nursing homes, Uncategorized|0 Comments

The House Build Back Better Bill Makes Historic Changes for Older Adults, But Care Gaps Remain

The Build Back Better social spending bill the House passed this morning includes a long list of important changes aimed at improving the quality of life of older adults. There is much left to be done, and even this bill may be pared back in the Senate. But following the pandemic catastrophe for older adults, it would be significant progress. [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2021-11-19T15:16:56-05:00November 19th, 2021|long term care reform|0 Comments

Lawsuit Seeks To Overturn Washington State’s Public Long-Term Care Insurance Program

Washington State’s first-in-the-nation public long-term care insurance program is headed to court. A group of employers and workers has sued the state with the goal of getting the law overturned. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three employers and six workers, argues that the insurance program violates a long list of federal and state laws including the Employee Income Security [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2021-11-16T13:50:34-05:00November 16th, 2021|long term care reform|1 Comment

House Democrats Restore Paid Family Leave To The Big Social Spending Bill, But For How Long?

After much back-and-forth, House Democrats decided to include a scaled-back version of a family and medical leave plan in their nearly $2 trillion version of the Build Back Better social spending bill. The measure would give families up to four weeks of leave a year to care for relatives who are ill, including those who need long-term personal assistance. The [...]

By Howard Gleckman|2021-11-05T10:20:17-04:00November 5th, 2021|family caregivers|0 Comments