Andrea Ducas
@andreaducas
Health Policy VP at @amprog; former SPO at @rwjf | tweets mine | feminist, tea-lover, travel bug, hiker | relentless pursuer of a more perfect union
Republicans said their tax cuts cost nothing because they merely extended breaks already in place So extending ACA subsidies would also cost nothing, right? Or are the rules different when people's health insurance is at stake? (1) thebulwark.com/p/a-massive-he…
Under the guise of ferreting out waste & abuse in traditional Medicare, CMS’s “WISeR” project will create onerous red tape that will hurt seniors’ access to care. Don Berwick and @andreaducas explain for @statnews: statnews.com/2025/07/25/med…
Who is surprised by this?
Exclusive: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning to remove all the members of an advisory panel that determines what cancer screenings and other preventive health measures insurers must cover on.wsj.com/3UwaLvC
One of the medical miracles of our time Cervical cancer is on the way to being ELIMINATED! How? A vaccine!
Cervical cancer is being defeated thanks to two things: Pap smears and the Gardasil vaccine. HPV vaccination is so effective that many countries will have practically eliminated cervical cancer in the next two decades. Here's why🧵
UPDATED: Well, that didn't take long. Which services/medications have to be covered by health insurance will now be at the whim of people hand-picked by RFK Jr. Mammograms & vaccines? Perhaps not. Bleach injections & horse dewormer? Perhaps. acasignups.net/25/07/26/my-mo…
Beyond absurd, and totally reckless. RFK Jr continues his assault on the public’s health.
New exclusive 🗞️ Health secretary RFK Jr. plans to oust the members of an advisory panel that recommends which cancer screenings, HIV drugs and other preventive services insurers must cover at no cost
100 million per year get preventive care with no cost-sharing under the ACA requirement that insurers cover that care recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (whose members were also let go by Secretary Kennedy).
New exclusive 🗞️ Health secretary RFK Jr. plans to oust the members of an advisory panel that recommends which cancer screenings, HIV drugs and other preventive services insurers must cover at no cost
Impact of the “Big Bill” on Medicare Learn more⬇️ medicareadvocacy.org/impact-of-the-…
Prior-auth may be the pre-x of today. Most see it as a big problem for them. Few think the recently announced voluntary initiative to curb it will amount to much. Our latest tracking poll: kff.org/patient-consum…
With growing interest in what will happen if enhanced ACA premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of this year, we have a calculator that estimates increased costs by zip code, income, and age. kff.org/interactive/ho…
My latest with Don on why CMS’s new demo is bad news for the Medicare program. 👇🏻
Preauthorization is about to enter the lives of many seniors who have chosen traditional Medicare over MA, write former CMS Administrator Don Berwick and health policy expert Andrea Ducas. trib.al/xubPCod
Tricia Brooks and I wrote a blog about what is likely a surprise to many given the late night craziness of the OBBB journey thru the Senate. New CHIP Protections are In Effect Now Despite Congressional Efforts to Eliminate Them ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/07/24/new… via @GeorgetownCCF
Thimerosol was voluntarily removed from nearly all vaccines (95%) 2 decades ago. It’s a preservative used for multidose vials which manufacturers have largely moved away from. There never was any evidence that Thimerosol caused autism.
After more than two decades of delay, this action fulfills a long-overdue promise to protect our most vulnerable populations from unnecessary mercury exposure. Injecting any amount of mercury into children when safe, mercury-free alternatives exist defies common sense and public…
CMS is testing prior authorization in traditional Medicare. Critique of CMMI proposed WISER demonstration. @donberwick @andreaducas statnews.com/2025/07/25/med…
Under the guise of ferreting out waste & abuse in traditional Medicare, CMS’s “WISeR” project will create onerous red tape that will hurt seniors’ access to care. Don Berwick and @andreaducas explain for @statnews: statnews.com/2025/07/25/med…
Prior authorizations sound "rational" but are a bureaucratic mess. They create frustration that reduces even care we all agree is appropriate. And avoidance, delays, and interruptions of needed care is harmful and deadly. From @donberwick @andreaducas: statnews.com/2025/07/25/med…
65% of Medicaid beneficiaries say the new tax and spending law will hurt them. From our latest tracking poll: kff.org/medicaid/poll-….
👀 Cassidy announces AARP has endorsed his Medicare Advantage upcoding bill in press release just now AARP says it "protects older Americans, strengthens oversight, and helps to ensure the long-term sustainability of Medicare"
New Pod @BetoORourke discusses the national implications of Republicans’ ploy to further erode democracy in Texas & how to fight back @CMSeeberger also talks w/ @dgibber123 about the history of The Tent & bids her farewell as she departs @CAPAction podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bet…
"Although states cannot fully neutralize the impending Medicaid cuts, they have tools to scuttle the Trump administration’s efforts." @Hayrook, senior @CAHPR_BrownSPH fellow writes in @statnews that states can mitigate Medicaid cuts—if they act boldly. statnews.com/2025/07/24/med…