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Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Historic Medicaid cuts to come as Trump signs domestic policy bill
This story was originally published on Healthcare Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Healthcare Dive newsletter. President Donald Trump on Friday signed Republicans' major tax and domestic policy bill into law, setting into motion massive cuts to Medicaid that could remove millions of people from the safety-net insurance coverage. The legislation was sent to Trump's desk on Thursday, after months of rancorous debate in Congress. The Senate narrowly passed its version of the bill earlier this week, calling in Vice President JD Vance to cast the tiebreaking vote. House Republicans then scrambled to get their caucus in line, as moderates raised concerns about the Senate's steeper cuts to Medicaid and conservatives lambasted the legislation's growing contribution to the national debt. But the lower chamber ultimately voted to pass the megabill 218 to 214, nearly entirely along party lines. Only two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, declined to support the legislation. GOP lawmakers cheered its passage Thursday. Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, said the law 'strengthens Medicaid for those who need it most.' Here are some of the healthcare provisions in the law: Medicaid work requirements. Some beneficiaries in the safety-net insurance program — including childless adults and those with children older than 14 — would need to work, volunteer or go to school at least 80 hours a month to stay enrolled. Medicaid eligibility. States would be required to check enrollees' eligibility for the coverage every six months instead of yearly. The law also prevents the HHS from enforcing a regulation that aimed to streamline eligibility and enrollment for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Cost-sharing in Medicaid. Higher-income beneficiaries would have to pay cost-sharing up to $35 per service for some care. Provider taxes. The law freezes provider taxes — arrangements states use to finance their share of Medicaid funding — in states that haven't expanded Medicaid, and gradually lowers allowed rates in expansion states. State-directed payments. The arrangements that allow states to make supplemental payments for services covered in Medicaid managed care contracts face new restrictions. The law directs the HHS to revise that payment limit from the average commercial rate to Medicare rates in expansion states, and 10% above the Medicare rate in non-expansion states. Affordable Care Act subsidy verification. The law requires pre-enrollment verification of eligibility for premium tax credits that subsidize the cost of health plans on the ACA exchanges. Limit immigrant eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid and ACA premium tax credits. Only green card holders and certain classes of immigrants would be eligible for these programs. Cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. The law blocks Medicaid funds for services offered by abortion providers like Planned Parenthood for one year. Rural healthcare support. The policy includes a $50 billion fund to help states support providers and hospitals in rural communities. Nursing home staffing. The HHS is prohibited from enforcing a Biden-era regulation that would have required long-term care facilities to increase staffing and have a registered nurse on-site. The Medicaid provisions of the law have been some of the most contentious. The policies reduce federal spending on the safety-net coverage by $1 trillion, according to a Tuesday estimate by health policy researcher KFF. Nearly 12 million additional people would become uninsured by 2034 under the law, according to an analysis published Saturday by the Congressional Budget Office. As such, the policies have been lambasted by the healthcare sector. Hospitals worry the growing number of uninsured patients would cause uncompensated care to soar, weighing on their bottom lines. Rural hospitals and providers that serve large numbers of Medicaid patients would be particularly hard hit, forcing them to cut services to close their doors altogether, experts say. Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement Thursday the impact from the law 'will reverberate for years,' leaving patients sicker with less access to care. Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, urged Congress to take action to mitigate damage from the law's healthcare provisions by extending enhanced financial assistance for people who buy coverage on the ACA marketplaces, which is set to lapse at the end of the year. 'Time is of the essence,' he said in a Thursday statement. 'Without action extending these credits, we will see the gains to health care access and affordability our country has made over the years further evaporate, and too many will not be able to pick up the slack.' Recommended Reading Senate passes Trump's spending bill with massive Medicaid cuts
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Syria loses a lifeline as the United States and Europe slash global aid
The fall of Syria's dictatorship last year brought the end of a long and bloody civil conflict — but no quick relief to millions of Syrians living in the war-shattered nation. The country's health care network lay in ruins. Nongovernmental organizations filled some of the gap in health services, often with funding from the United States or Europe, but now that lifeline, too, is disappearing,
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The gym bro supplement that may be a game changer for women in midlife
Until recently, creatine supplements was almost exclusively used by athletes and bodybuilders looking to enhance performance and pack on muscle mass. But now there is a surprising rapidly growing market for it: middle aged women. While Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson still puts in his protein shake to 'put on size,' Ivanka Trump revealed earlier this year she takes a dose with her morning smoothie. From fitness influencers on TikTok to health experts, the chalky powder is now being touted for a range of benefits for women. So, what exactly is creatine and does the science back up the hype? 'Creatine is a natural compound that comes from three amino acids – arginine, glycine, and methionine,' Dr. Rupa Parmar, a physician and Director at Midland Health, tells The Independent. 'It's stored mainly in our muscles to help produce energy.' While small amounts come from foods like red meat and fish, our bodies also make about a gram each day. Most women don't get the recommended three to five grams per day from food, Rupar said, and supplementation may help. 'Women naturally have much lower creatine stores than men and usually eat less of it in their diet, so they may actually benefit more from taking creatine to boost their levels,' he added. Creatine's rise as a go-to supplement can be traced to 1992 when British sprinter Linford Christie and hurdler Sally Gunnell, both vocal about its use, won gold at the Barcelona Olympics. Glossy fitness magazines began branding it a 'breakthrough'; a 1998 article in Fortune magazine called the compound 'nature's steroid'; a Los Angeles Times headline blared, 'Power powder.' While much of its early reputation focused on muscle-building and workout recovery, research suggests creatine's benefits may extend beyond the gym. Creatine has been linked to improved memory, brain health, depression treatment and increased energy. 'It can even support brain health, with studies suggesting the substance helps to improve cognitive function and provide some protection as we age,' Rupar said. A preliminary study by the University of Kansas Medical Center on people with Alzheimer's found that creatine supplements may improve memory and executive function. Creatine may also offer benefits tied to hormonal fluctuations. 'Creatine can help ease fatigue during your period by supporting stable energy levels,' Rupar continued, 'especially when you're feeling more tired.' Oestrogen and progesterone, hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle, influence how the body produces and uses creatine, he explained. 'During the menstrual cycle, creatine levels can change, and supplements may help keep energy and muscle function more stable, especially when oestrogen is low,' Rupar said. For women approaching or going through menopause, creatine appears especially promising as it may help counteract declines in muscle mass, strength, and bone density, particularly when combined with resistance training. One 12-month study found that creatine reduced the loss of bone mineral density in 47 postmenopausal women. For all its potential upsides, creatine isn't without drawbacks. One of the most common complaints is bloating: because it saturates the muscles, it may cause water retention, which sometimes leads to a bloated feeling and a few extra pounds on the scale from water weight. Still, studies have repeatedly shown creatine to be safe for most healthy adults when taken at recommended doses. Experts advise consulting a healthcare provider before starting, especially for those with kidney conditions or who are on medication.
