When Sam Mazaheri was 9, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. That means Sam’s body makes little or no insulin, a hormone that turns food into energy. “All of a sudden I had to manage everything he was going to take, including the insulin,” said Sam’s mom, Nasim Mazaheri. It was frightening, she said, and it felt like bringing home a newborn all over again. “If I give him too much, it can actually kill him, or if I don’t give him enough, it will eventually kill him.” Nasim and Ali Mazaheri, Sam’s dad, didn’t sleep much, scared of the worst-case scenario. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that can be managed with medication. But without insulin, the body can no longer move glucose from the blood into the cells and, eventually, will stop working. More than 1 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, according to a 2017 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Mazaheris, who … [Read more...] about DIY Tech Gives People More Freedom In Managing Diabetes
Health Law
Health Plan’s ‘Cadillac Tax’ May Finally Be Running Out Of Gas
The politics of health care are changing. And one of the most controversial parts of the Affordable Care Act — the so-called Cadillac tax — may be about to change with it. The Cadillac tax is a 40% tax on the most generous employer-provided health insurance plans — those that cost more than $11,200 for an individual policy or $30,150 for family coverage. It was supposed to take effect in 2018, but Congress has delayed it twice. And the House recently voted overwhelmingly — 419-6 — to repeal it entirely. A Senate companion bill has 61 co-sponsors — more than enough to ensure passage. The tax was always an unpopular and controversial part of the 2010 health law because the expectation was that employers would cut benefits to avoid paying the tax. But ACA backers said it was necessary to help pay for the law’s nearly $1 trillion cost and help stem the use of what was seen as potentially unnecessary care. In the ensuing years, however, public … [Read more...] about Health Plan’s ‘Cadillac Tax’ May Finally Be Running Out Of Gas
What The Trump Home Dialysis Plan Would Really Look Like
Mary Epp awoke from a deep sleep to the “high, shrill” sound of her dialysis machine’s alarm. Something was wrong. It was 1 a.m. and Epp, 89, was alone at home in Marion Junction, Ala. No matter. Epp has been on home dialysis since 2012, and she knew what to do: Check the machine, then call the 24/7 help line at her dialysis provider in Birmingham, Ala. to talk to a nurse. The issue Epp identified: Hours before, a woman she hired to help her out had put up two small bags of dialysis solution instead of the large ones, and the solution had run out. The nurse reassured Epp that she’d had enough dialysis. Epp tried to detach herself from the machine, but she couldn’t remove a cassette, a key part. A man on another 24/7 help line run by the machine’s manufacturer helped with that problem. Was it difficult troubleshooting these issues? “Not really: I’m used to it,” Epp said, although she didn’t sleep soundly again that night. If … [Read more...] about What The Trump Home Dialysis Plan Would Really Look Like
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: We Answer Your Questions
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. This week, KHN’s “What the Health?” panelists answered questions submitted by listeners. Among the topics covered were drug prices, how other countries provide and pay for health insurance and whether Congress might repeal the “Cadillac tax” on generous health plans. This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Caitlin Owens of Axios. Among questions the panel addressed: Why [does] the health care debate in the U.S. seem to be focused on “Medicare for All” or strengthening the ACA, but no one is suggesting a universal multipayer system with price controls, as in France or Germany? Can you please explain the policies that prevent the majority of Medicare patients from using third-party and manufacturers’ coupons for medications? I know that you all talked about the update on … [Read more...] about KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: We Answer Your Questions
Going Down Fighting: Dying Activist Champions ‘Medicare For All’
When Santa Barbara lawyer-turned-activist Ady Barkan settled in to watch the second round of the Democratic presidential primary debates late last month, he had no idea his story would be part of the heated discussion. Barkan, 35, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, watched from his wheelchair as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren described how he and his family had to raise money online to help pay for roughly $9,000 a month in health care costs not covered by his private health insurance. Thank you, @ewarren. You are right: this health care system is unconscionable. My family needed #MedicareForAll yesterday. pic.twitter.com/vrXPbD6zmf — Ady Barkan🔥🌹 (@AdyBarkan) July 31, 2019 “The basic profit model of an insurance company is taking as much money as you can in premiums and pay out as little as possible in health care coverage,” Warren said. “That is not working for Americans.” But for … [Read more...] about Going Down Fighting: Dying Activist Champions ‘Medicare For All’