Mississippi continues pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccine as most states resume use
At least 32 states have resumed the use of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, but Mississippi is not one of them. “As of now, the Mississippi State Department of Health continues to pause Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Mississippi Today, Read More.
COVID vaccine doses are going to waste on the MS Coast. ‘I don’t know what else to do.’
Last week, Hancock County pharmacist Rudy Letellier was desperate to use more than 100 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine before they expired. He called several employers and local government agencies asking if they’d like his staff to come vaccinate employees on-site. Most never got back to him. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department did, but when pharmacists spent several hours there on Tuesday afternoon, only eight employees wanted the shot. Sun Herald, Read More.
Medical debt is engulfing more people as pandemic takes its toll
Andréa Ceresa said she may have to declare bankruptcy soon. She has paid off about $23,000 in medical bills so far, but she faces $133,000 more for a nine-day hospital stay in November.Since she contracted Covid-19 a year ago, Ceresa has joined the ranks of those who still struggle with various manifestations of the coronavirus. She’s also one of a growing number of Americans who can’t afford their medical bills. NBC News, Read More.
Fight Over Novel Health Plan Threatens Obamacare Protections
A case before a federal appeals court that challenges a new type of employee health plan has insurers and state regulators worried about its potential to create an end-run around Obamacare and state insurance regulations. The U.S. Labor Department is fighting back against a decision from a federal judge in Texas that allowed two companies to offer health plans to individuals who agree to have their internet activity tracked and sold.Bloomberg Law, Read More.
Time to Say Goodbye to Some Insurers’ Waivers for Covid Treatment Fees
Just as other industries are rolling back some consumer-friendly changes made early in the pandemic — think empty middle seats on airplanes — so, too, are health insurers. Many voluntarily waived all deductibles, copayments and other costs for insured patients who fell ill with covid-19 and needed hospital care, doctor visits, medications or other treatment. KHN, Read More.