Hope in Health Care: A Look Ahead to 2024
Cost pressures related to basic human rights like health care, housing, food, and safety have continued to plague many in this country during the economic rollercoaster of the post-COVID era. Just under half of U.S. adults say they have difficulty affording health care costs and have delayed or gone without medical care due to cost. This is a sobering statistic and one that is at the heart of HealthWell’s vision to ensure that no patient goes without health care because they cannot afford it.
Krista Zodet, HealthWell Foundation
I am proud of the work HealthWell has done over the last two decades to provide help, healing and hope by offering a financial lifeline to underinsured Americans to assist them in accessing critical, often lifesaving, medical treatments.
I am also heartened to see the small, but important steps being taken to reduce costs for some of our most vulnerable citizens: older Americans covered by Medicare. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 contained several provisions to lower out-of-pocket drug costs for people with Medicare, including a $35 cap on monthly cost sharing for insulin and free vaccines under Medicare Part D. New this year will be a cap on Part D out-of-pocket prescription costs that will save thousands of dollars for people who take high-cost drugs.
HealthWell is keeping a watchful eye as these, and future provisions of the Act roll out. We know they will make a big difference in the lives of the patients we serve, and we remain committed to providing continued assistance to Medicare patients who need a little extra help.
Throughout the coming year, Real World Health Care will do our best to answer key questions Medicare beneficiaries may have about how the Inflation Reduction Act will affect them and what they can look forward to as their out-of-pocket costs continue to drop over the next couple years. We will also pay close attention to a disease creating health and cost burdens for an estimated 35+ million Americans: type 2 diabetes.
We will also celebrate the efforts and achievements of organizations committed to “ending cancer as we know it” by participating in the Cancer Moonshot Initiative coordinated through The White House. HealthWell was recently honored by the Cancer Moonshot Initiative for our past efforts and future commitments to assist oncology patients, and we look forward to shining a spotlight on other non-profit organizations who share our pledge to provide a positive impact on people living with cancer.
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