Read today’s Kaiser Health News
In other news:
DOGE has access to 19 HHS systems: Report: The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency has access to sensitive information in 19 HHS databases and systems, according to a court filing obtained by Wired.
HHS submitted the filing as part of the discovery process for a lawsuit the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations’ filed against the federal government, aiming to restrict DOGE’s access to federal systems. Nine such systems had not been previously disclosed as being accessed by DOGE. HHS did not respond to Wired‘s request for comment.
[See the article for specifics of which systems are affected.]
About health insurance/insurers
CHRAs Gain Favor Among Large Employers Due To Reduced Health Insurance Expenses: Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements are gaining traction among large employers as a cost-effective alternative to traditional health insurance plans, offering potential savings, employee choice, and broader market adoption in the face of economic uncertainties and rising healthcare costs.
At a Glance
-About 44% of large employers consider ICHRAs to cut health insurance costs, offering pre-tax funds for individual plans.
-ICHRAs reduce premiums by 23% on average, distributing risk across broader population segments.
-Experts predict ICHRAs will dominate the employer-sponsored health insurance market within 10 years.
Highest-paid payer CEOs in 2024 FYI
Healthcare billing fraud: 10 recent cases FYI
About the public’s health
Dose Response of Incidental Physical Activity [IPA] Against Cardiovascular Events and Mortality: Any daily IPA amount of vigorous or moderate intensity was associated with lower CVD risk in a dose-response manner. LIPA had weak associations with all outcomes. One minute of vigorous or ≈3.0 to 3.5 minutes of moderate IPA was associated with a similar degree of lower CVD risk. Our findings highlight the potential cardiovascular health value of incidental physical activity, especially for people who struggle to do structured exercise.
Food companies agree to phase out synthetic dyes, handing MAHA a victory: Food manufacturers will phase out eight synthetic dyes from all U.S. products by the end of 2026, the federal government announced today in a move that reflects the growing reach of the Make America Healthy Again movement.
Americans unsure what to believe about the measles vaccine, poll shows: Most Americans have encountered false claims about the measles vaccine, and many aren’t sure what the truth is, according to a KFF poll released Wednesday.
With future of gun research in question, new report finds US emergency departments see a firearm injury every 30 minutes: Every 30 minutes, an emergency department treats another firearm injury, according to a new analysis from researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that looked at 10 jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia.
But cuts from the US Department of Health and Human Services and proposed changes to the federal budget could threaten research that reveals these kinds of firearm injury patterns. Experts say it would be nearly impossible to replicate the scale and scope of the timely firearm research the federal government is able to conduct.