{"id":2292497,"date":"2024-07-11T09:22:59","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T13:22:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-regulations-spike-health-care-costs-experts-say-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-11T09:26:35","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T13:26:35","slug":"state-regulations-spike-health-care-costs-experts-say-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-regulations-spike-health-care-costs-experts-say-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"State regulations spike health care costs, experts say &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstate-regulations-spike-health-care-costs-experts-say-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2292497&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses how state regulations in Pennsylvania have contributed to a nearly \u200c30% increase in healthcare costs over the past decade. Policy makers and\u200d researchers are exploring \u2064ways to \u200cdrive down costs while \u200bimproving access to healthcare. The Commonwealth Foundation suggests creating a personal option for healthcare plans to reduce bureaucracy. Healthcare providers \u200blike Dr. Kimberly Legg-Corba argue that the current insurance-based \u2062approach \u200cis not working and \u200cadvocate for alternative models like direct primary care. The article also touches\u2064 on the \u2062importance of ensuring \u2064that insurance coverage \u2062translates\u2064 to\u2064 access to care, as\u200c well \u200bas the need \u2063to expand telemedicine coverage and allow nurse practitioners to work independently to improve healthcare access in rural and underserved areas.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">\n<div class=\"tdb-search-form-inner\"><input class=\"tdb-head-search-form-input\" placeholder=\" \" type=\"text\" value name=\"s\" autocomplete=\"off\"><button class=\"wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn tdb-head-search-form-btn\" title=\"Search\" type=\"submit\"><span>Search<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">State regulations spike health care costs, experts say<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> <a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/anthony-hennen-the-center-square\/\">Anthony Hennen | The Center Square<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-07-11T08:17:49-04:00\">July 11, 2024 8:17 am<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1689775\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) \u2014 Pennsylvania\u2019s above-average health care costs and per-capita spending have risen almost 30% since a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p>Figuring out how to drive down those costs while improving access weighs heavy on policy makers and researchers.<\/p>\n<p>The Commonwealth Foundation, in an online event on Wednesday, argued that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commonwealthfoundation.org\/personal-option\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>creating a personal option<\/strong><\/a>, where people can customize health care plans and reduce bureaucracy, could improve the state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/l-a-county-health-officials-urge-residents-to-wear-masks-at-home-to-protect-vulnerable-one-america-news-network\/\" title=\"L.A. County health officials urge residents to wear masks at home to protect vulnerable | One America News Network\">health care system<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a misunderstanding that health care is all federal now, but there\u2019s a lot that Pennsylvania can do,\u201d said Elizabeth Stelle, director of policy analysis at the Commonwealth Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Change may be an inevitability; state spending on Medicaid has grown dramatically from about <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_19ebec1e-1dfa-11ef-be5b-9f1be3ef51db.html\">$11 billion in 2000 to almost $47 billion<\/a><\/strong> now.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Kimberly Legg-Corba, who runs a direct primary care office in the Lehigh Valley, argued the current approach of insurance companies covering all health care services isn\u2019t working.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen patients seek out an alternative form of primary care, like direct primary care, I hear all of their complaints,\u201d she said. \u201cCost is No. 1, access is No. 2, and attention is No. 3 \u2026\u00a0 They\u2019re paying a lot of money for services that they\u2019re not happy with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With direct care as Legg-Corba operates, her office doesn\u2019t accept insurance, which helps her avoid bureaucracy and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/15-million-americans-set-to-lose-medical-coverage-as-public-health-emergency-ends\/\" title=\"15 million Americans will lose medical coverage after a Public Health Emergency ends\">higher administrative costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just about how the provider gets paid, but all the layers in between the patient and provider, and all that money that\u2019s going to entities that are smack in the middle,\u201d Legg-Corba said. \u201cWe got rid of the third party in the room \u2026 there are so many places where the money is flowing and it\u2019s not flowing back to lower premiums for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stelle warned that a focus on making sure that Pennsylvanians have insurance coverage does not mean they have access to health care.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you have more government intrusion and involvement, you have more of the focus shift away from the patient and to the payment systems,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI would reframe the conversation: It\u2019s not about, \u2018Are you insured?\u2019 It\u2019s about, \u2018Can you access care in a timely way?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania recently took steps to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_3f0cd0e8-3412-11ef-ba44-03613206bc68.html?a\">expand telemedicine coverage<\/a><\/strong>, but it has lagged on another way that other states have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kyrsten-sinema-reaffirms-that-she-will-not-support-abolishing-the-filibuster\/\" title=\"Kyrsten Sinema Reaffirms That She Will Not Support Abolishing The Filibuster\">expanded health care access<\/a> in rural and underserved areas: expanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners to work independently of physicians. <\/p>\n<p>Those restrictions limit what sorts of health care they can provide and limit the economic viability of working independently. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we opened our practice, the first thing was the hardest because a lot of insurances don\u2019t recognize nurse practitioners as primary care,\u201d Dallas Riley, a certified registered nurse practitioner and partner of Hall &#038; Riley Comprehensive Healthcare outside Wilkes-Barre. \u201cReimbursement: NPs only get reimbursed 85% of the max Medicaid-allowable reimbursement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She also argued current regulations can have \u201ckind of silly\u201d outcomes, like allowing her to prescribe insulin but prevent her from approving diabetic shoes for a patient without a doctor signing off on it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are a lot of really ridiculous limitations for nurse practitioners in primary care,\u201d Riley said.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate has taken some action that could remove some restrictions on NPs: in July, a Senate committee <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_79fd0d86-37fe-11ef-8bf1-1b905b011abc.html\">approved a bill<\/a><\/strong> to grant them more independent authority, but it still must pass the full Senate and then receive House approval.<\/p>\n<p>Until then, the commonwealth has its hands full with Medicaid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve seen this program explode in cost, also explode in terms of the population we\u2019re serving, but we\u2019re not really seeing any improvement in health outcomes,\u201d Stelle said.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1689775\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1689775\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>State regulations are causing health care costs to rise in Pennsylvania, prompting experts to suggest creating a personal option for health care plans to reduce bureaucracy and improve access. The current approach of insurance companies covering all health care services is not working, according to Dr. Kimberly Legg-Corba, who runs a direct primary care office. She argues that eliminating insurance and bureaucracy can lower costs for patients. The focus should be on ensuring access to care, not just having insurance coverage. Pennsylvania has taken steps to expand telemedicine coverage but has lagged in allowing nurse practitioners to work independently, limiting the types of care they can provide. The Senate has approved a bill to grant nurse practitioners more authority, but it still needs full Senate and House approval. The state is facing challenges with Medicaid costs and serving the population without seeing improvements in health outcomes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2292498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24081840523853-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4521,34630,34631,34629,32076],"class_list":["post-2292497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-experts","tag-healthcare-costs","tag-regulations-impact","tag-state-regulations","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24081840523853-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2292497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2292497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2292497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2292498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2292497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2292497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2292497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}