BENTON, Ark. – Governor Asa Hutchinson said COVID intensive care beds in Arkansas are full as the Delta variant continues to soar in the state.
Arkansas health officials are pleading with residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce cases. Currently, 46% of eligible Arkansans are fully vaccinated.
Michael Stewart, CEO of Saline Health System, said the latest wave of cases has been difficult, especially since intensive care beds are scarce for COVID and non-COVID patients.
He stressed at this time that it is important to speak with respect to residents who are skeptical about the vaccine and to provide research to help them make a decision.
“Any strategy that we deploy has to kind of start with the heart and say, ‘Hey, I understand you have some concerns. “And saying,” Your concerns are valid. Let’s talk about it, “or” Let’s put in front of you some resources or people who can help you with your problems, “Stewart explained.” I think this is a proven strategy to help move the needle. “
Stewart said he also hopes the Full FDA approval of Pfizer’s vaccine this week will cause people who were previously hesitant to get vaccinated, now that it has been fully verified.
The University of Arkansas Faculty of Medical Sciences released its COVID-19 monthly forecast Tuesday, which predicted more than 4,500 cases per day by mid-September, almost double the previous month.
During the governor’s briefing on the coronavirus, Hutchinson stressed that the lack of intensive care beds in the state shows how important it is for more residents to get vaccinated.
“Everyone should know the pressure on our hospitals, the need to get vaccinated and how critical our bed space is,” Hutchinson explained. “I know our hospitals are trying to get a little more online, but that’s a word of caution for everyone.”
Arkansas’ COVID-19 positivity rate is over 20%, five times the national average. Since February, more than 92% of hospitalizations in the state have been unvaccinated people.
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DENVER – Prescription drug costs continue to rise in Colorado and the United States, says new report of the Center for Improving the Value of Health Care.
Cari Frank, vice president of communications at the Center, said the data suggests that discounts offered by drugmakers to insurance companies, to cover the cost of some drugs, may actually be contributing to higher spending levels. students.
“Prescription drug discounts are also on the rise,” Frank said. “And especially in the area of brand name and specialty drugs, which are the costliest expenses we see in the state.”
Prescription drug costs have become the fastest growing health care expense in the United States, accounting for nearly one in five dollars spent on health care in Colorado.
Drugmakers and insurance companies have championed discounts as an important tool to contain costs, but Frank countered that it’s unclear whether those savings are passed on to employers and consumers.
Frank was concerned that the discounts would cause doctors to write prescriptions for more expensive brand and specialty drugs simply because they ended up on the preferred list of drugs covered by insurers.
“If they’re actually using it to cut premiums, then that’s great,” Frank admitted. “But again, that’s why we need more transparency on how this rebate dollar transaction fits into the setting of premiums and payment for prescription drugs.”
Colorado lawmakers recently passed a bill requiring insurance payers to report discounts on specific drugs to a new Prescription Drug Accessibility Board, which Frank says will help define where costs are rising and why.
Frank added that patients can also help cut costs. While some drugs are only available under their brand names, many have generic versions that are just as effective.
“It’s not always possible to get a generic,” Frank noted. “But definitely ask your doctor, ‘Can we please consider using the generic’ to lower overall costs for both patients and the health plans that pay for it.”
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LANSING, Michigan – The most recent data from Michigan showed that 51% of nursing home staff and residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19, despite the disproportionate share of deaths this group has experienced since the start of the pandemic.
More than 5,700 residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in Michigan have died from COVID. They account for about 27% of the state’s total deaths, but less than 1% of the population.
Lisa Dedden Cooper, advocacy manager for AARP Michigan, said her group is calling on nursing homes to demand that residents and staff get vaccinated.
“Raising vaccination rates in nursing homes is just one of the most sensible and powerful actions we can take to protect the lives of these vulnerable seniors,” said Cooper.
President Joe Biden has previously said nursing homes must require vaccinations in order to continue to receive Medicaid and Medicare funding. Opponents of a vaccination mandate fear it will exacerbate already severe staff shortages. But Cooper argued that it’s clear there needs to be greater investment in caregivers and alternatives to nursing home care.
Cooper added that AARP is calling on Michigan to use some of its funds from the American rescue plan invest in alternative models of long-term care delivery. There are home and community services that allow nurses and caregivers to reach people’s homes, but she noted that many will need residential care at some point.
“Overall, people don’t want to have to go to a nursing home as they get older; they don’t want a family member to go to a nursing home,” he said. Cooper observed. “But access to alternatives has been limited.”
She noted that the Green House or “small nursing home” model of care has been shown to be safer against infectious diseases like COVID than the larger and more typical nursing home model. She hopes that alternative investments could prevent future epidemics that disproportionately harm the elderly and more vulnerable.
Disclosure: AARP Michigan contributes to our Fund for Reports on Health Issues, Living Wages / Working Families, and Seniors Related Issues. If you want to help support the news in the public interest,
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RALEIGH, NC – North Carolina residents who rely on Medicaid have until September 30 to change health care plans under new managed care system.
Almost 1.6 million people are currently receiving Medicaid benefits.
Rebecca Friedman, a lawyer in the Family Support and Health Care Unit of the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, explained last month that the state has moved from a fee-for-service model to one where individuals must access care through personal prepaid health care. plans run by a handful of private companies.
“It works more like private insurance, which is familiar to a lot of people,” Friedman said. “But for so many people on Medicaid in North Carolina, it’s just completely new and completely different from what they’ve known all their lives.”
Medicaid recipients can visit ncmedicaidplans.gov to ensure that the providers they need to see are in the network of the prepaid health plan they have selected or to which they have been assigned.
Friedman advised if your doctor is not listed in this plan’s network, you should request to change plans.
Friedman added in order to avoid problems accessing care, its critical residents pay attention to the plan they are in, and people who need enhanced behavioral health services for mental illness, addiction or disability. intellectual can fill out a form online form ask to stay in NC Medicaid Direct.
“We really want to make sure that people now find out about their vendors’ plans and move on to that plan,” Friedman urged.
She stressed that resources are available to help.
“For people who need to change plans or find out about their providers’ plans, the enrollment broker is the resource they can contact to change their plans or inquire about provider networks,” said Friedman. .
The listing broker can be contacted by phone at 1-833-870-5500.
Individuals can also contact North Carolina Medicaid Mediator, a resource providing education, counseling, referrals, and informal problem solving for Medicaid recipients as they transition to the managed care system. The Ombudsman can be contacted by phone at 877-201-3750 or online.
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