Legal Aid Chicago’s Post

🌍 To coincide with #HatsOn4CPC, ICPCN has launched the Transforming Children’s Palliative Care global campaign to ask people to kindly donate to help ‘close the gap’ in access and equity. 🧡 By donating £11 or more, you can help millions of children who are suffering needlessly and help close the gap. 💚  #ICPCN #HatsOn4CPC #TransformingChildrensPalliativeCare #GlobalGiving #ClosetheGap #GlobalHealth #LifeLimitingConditions   Here's the link: https://lnkd.in/dXTb97tx

In the face of legal restrictions, doctors are confronted with an impossible dilemma: risking legal action to save a life or adhering to laws that might endanger their patients. This isn't the practice of medicine; it's a perilous guessing game with human lives at stake. Iowans for Health Liberty stands against the uncertainty these restrictions impose on medical professionals. We advocate for clear, compassionate policies that prioritize health over legal jeopardy. Support healthcare, not courtrooms. Join us in empowering doctors to act without fear for the lives they've sworn to protect. https://lnkd.in/g4nk3rek #IA4HL #Iowans4HealthLiberty #HealthcareFreedom #ReproductiveRights #abortionishealthcare #abortionrights #WomensRights #Donate #JoinUs #WomensHistoryMonth

11 Things to Know about the #340BACCESSAct (Part 1 of 2) Introduced yesterday by Reps. Bucshon, Carter, and Harshbarger and backed by #NACHC and #PhRMA, among others, the Act would address the policy issues that have plagued the #340B program. Here are the top 11 most important provisions. 1) Mandated Discounts: The bill summary says the Act would require 340B #coveredentities to pass through 340B discounts to needy patients. As a result of this provision, “nearly 50 million patients…will be eligible for lower drug costs”. The Act would require 340B hospitals to extend discounts to patients with incomes below 200% of the federal #poverty limit. 2) The Patient Defined: The Act provides significant new language designed to close the gaping hole that the Genesis decision created. Under the Act, a “patient” must be seen by a provider employed by or contracted with the CE, in-person, on a minimum frequency, which varies by CE type. For most #hospital types, an in-person visit must occur no less frequently than once a year, but, for grantees and small #ruralhospitals, an in-person visit at least once every 2 years is required. In addition, all CEs must maintain consistent responsibility for patient care that reflects “a direct connection between the patient's medical condition and the services being provided or managed”, including through certain permitted referrals--grantees and SRHs are permitted to refer patients to external specialists. 3) New Hospital Eligibility Tests: The Act establishes revised eligibility standards for hospitals that vary by hospital type. Revisions to the standards applicable to #disproportionatesharehospitals and to #ruralreferralcenters are core to these eligibility revisions. In addressing the growing crisis of #financialtoxicity and #medicaldebt, the Act would prohibit 340B hospitals from “engaging in aggressive medical debt collection practices”. Critical access hospitals (#CAH) and sole community hospitals (#SCH) are not subject to eligibility changes. 4) Child Sites: With some 340B entities suing #HRSA over child site designations, the Act would address critics’ contention that child sites often do not meaningfully engage in #charitycare. Under the Act, child sites would be obligated to provide the higher of (1) the same percentage of charity care and #Medicaid services as the parent hospital or (2) the state hospital average. They must also be located in a medically underserved area and provide same sliding discounts. Child sites must provide a meaningful range of clinically relevant services, which cannot be limited to dispensing and similiar drug services. 5) Subgrantee Fix: With some grantees leveraging contract relationships with for-profit providers through “in-kind donations”, the Act would obligate all subgrantees be public or non-profit entities. Post 2 w/ the other 6 important provisions will follow at noon Eastern. A great article by 340B Report is below. #lifesciences #drugpricing #DSH

Addressing the dual challenges of housing insecurity and healthcare access is vital. Street medicine programs, like the one at Northwell Health, are crucial in delivering essential healthcare services directly to those experiencing homelessness. These programs go beyond traditional care, reaching people where they are—on the streets, in shelters, and other non-traditional settings. People experiencing homelessness often face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, from transportation issues to the stigma associated with their situation. This can lead to untreated conditions and preventable health crises. Street medicine bridges this gap by bringing compassionate, patient-centered care directly to them. The healthcare professionals involved are specially trained to address the unique needs of the unhoused, providing everything from routine medical care to mental health support with empathy and respect. Supporting these programs is not just about improving individual health outcomes; it’s about fostering healthier, safer communities. By investing in street medicine, we commit to healthcare equity, ensuring that even the most marginalized populations have access to the care they need. This investment also helps reduce the strain on emergency services and hospitals. I’m deeply grateful to Equal Justice America for the opportunity to contribute to Northwell’s street medicine program. It’s been an honor to witness the profound impact these efforts have on the lives of those we serve and to play a role in advancing healthcare for all. Together, we can continue to support and expand these critical programs for a healthier future. https://lnkd.in/efSFkN56 hashtag #EJAFellowUpdate Equal Justice America Northwell Health Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University

Most #hospitals do not engage in promoting interest-bearing loans and credit cards to patients for medical bills, and those that do are more financially-strained, according to a #USCSchaeffer Center study in JAMA Health Forum recently featured in Health Exec. Only 8.5% of 670 hospitals reviewed offered interest-bearing medical payment products (MPPs), primarily non-profit hospitals with high uncompensated care costs. The majority, 87%, offered interest-free payment plans. The findings suggest that policies limiting hospitals’ promotion of MPPs may need to be coupled with efforts to stabilize hospital finances. Hospitals may be using these products when lacking resources to offer longer-term, interest-free financing. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzgHqDji USC Sol Price School of Public Policy USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences  

A physician friend just shared with me this latest evidence of "nonprofit" hospitals suing patients; showing just how distorted our healthcare systems’s dollar-driven decision making has become: https://lnkd.in/ekp2v9ip Relevant excerpt from my book: “I find it disturbing in the extreme that a phenomenon like ‘medical bankruptcy’ (estimated as contributing to 62% of all US bankruptcies) can even exist in the US, especially at the same time that healthcare company administrator’s pay is at unconscionable levels (ranging from the hundreds of thousands to the hundreds of millions of dollars annually). Paralleling, and no doubt contributing to that gross inequity, is the following phenomenon, “The number of physicians in the United States grew 150% between 1975 and 2010, roughly in keeping with the population growth, while the number of healthcare administrators increased 3200% for the same time period. ”https://lnkd.in/ecQAxmQt Excerpt From The Healing Connection https://lnkd.in/euVhvuae

Every area needs defibrillators, where the public can access them. The more that are installed the better x

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a non-profit organization overseeing the nation's organ transplant system, has firmly rejected allegations of unlawful behavior and defamatory statements made against it during a recent congressional hearing. At the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Oversight Subcommittee hearing on September 11, several witnesses accused UNOS of violating laws while serving as the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) contractor. However, UNOS maintains that these claims are baseless and outrageous, asserting that it has never engaged in any unlawful conduct. 'To be clear: UNOS has never engaged in any unlawful behavior. Any statement to the contrary is outrageous and actionable in court,' the organization stated. UNOS categorically refuted allegations of being a 'monopoly,' retaliating against whistleblowers, and engaging in Medicare fraud, patient safety concerns, or bribery. The organization emphasized its commitment to transparency and adherence to whistleblower protection laws, stating that it does not tolerate retaliation against whistleblowers. UNOS also clarified that it has actively supported and lobbied for the OPTN Modernization Initiative, contrary to claims of resisting reform efforts. UNOS has been the sole contractor for the OPTN for decades, a role awarded through competitive bidding processes overseen by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The organization expressed its support for the new multi-vendor approach introduced in 2024, fostering increased competition in the OPTN contracting process. United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) #organtransplant #optn #transparency #whistleblowerprotection

Healthcare decisions should be made in the best interest of patients, not under the shadow of legal uncertainty. And medical professionals should remain advocates for patient care, not legal interpreters. 📢 Iowans for Health Liberty stands with healthcare providers like our founding member, Dr. Turner, who prioritize patient care above all. 👉 We need your support to continue this fight. Donate to #IA4HL or join us as a member and help us ensure that healthcare providers can focus on what they do best – caring for patients. https://ow.ly/6trF50QrmXt . . . . #IA4HL #Iowans4HealthLiberty #HealthcareFreedom #ReproductiveRights #abortionishealthcare #abortionrights #WomensRights #WomensRightsAreHumanRights