CENTER UPDATE | March 2025

In this Issue:

  • There’s Still Time to Register for the 2025 V-BID Summit!
  • Preventive Care Coverage at a Crossroads
  • SCOTUS Will Hear Case Threatening No-Cost Preventive Care
  • The Trump Administration’s Defense of the ACA’s Free Preventive Health Care Guarantee
  • Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act Passed in House of Representatives
  • 31 Million Americans Took Out Loans for Health Care
  • Health Plan Enrollees Need More Education on Out-of-Pocket Costs
  • Survey Shows Persistent Barriers in Healthcare Affordability and Access
  • Make Medicare Beneficiaries Healthier by Strengthening Primary Care

There's Still Time to Register!

2025 Virtual V-BID Summit
"20 Years of Putting Patients First"

This Wednesday from 12pm – 4pm EST, the 2025 Virtual V-BID Summit will celebrate 20 years of advancing patient-centered, value-based care. Keynote panelists include Stephanie Carlton, CMS Chief of Staff and Acting Administrator, as well as Jim Parker and Nicholas Uehlecke, both of whom served in the first Trump administration. Other sessions include a Fireside Chat with Michael Chernew, PhD, V-BID Center co-founder and current Chair of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

Register Now

Preventive Care Coverage at a Crossroads

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on court case Braidwood vs Kennedy (formerly Braidwood vs Becerra) on April 21, with a final decision expected by early summer. If the court upholds the challenge, insurers may no longer be required to cover preventive services recommended after 2010, potentially affecting millions. Some states and insurers have pledged to maintain coverage, but uncertainty remains about new and updated recommendations, such as expanded breast cancer screenings.

SCOTUS Will Hear Case Threatening No-Cost Preventive Care

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 21 in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, a case that could eliminate no-cost preventive care for millions of Americans. If the court rules against the ACA’s preventive care mandate, patients may have to pay for critical screenings, vaccinations, and counseling, disproportionately affecting low-income and marginalized communities.

The Trump Administration’s Supreme Court Defense of the ACA’s Free Preventive Health Care Guarantee

In a new Milbank Quarterly Opinion, Sara Rosenbaum of the George Washington University describes ongoing litigation focused on the constitutionality of the recommendations of the USPSTF—whose members are not appointed by the Senate—that could threaten the coverage of preventive services, including colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer screening. 

Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act Passed in House of Representatives

U.S. House of Representatives passed the Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act (H.R. 919), legislation which would codify the IRS Notice 2019-45 allowing pre-deductible coverage of certain services for chronically ill individuals in HSA-HDHP arrangements. Adoption of voluntary, clinically-nuanced expanded HDHP benefit designs has the potential to mitigate cost-related non-adherence, enhance patient-centered outcomes, allow for lower premiums

31 Million Americans Took Out Loans for Health Care

Over 31 million Americans took out loans in 2024 to cover health care expenses, according to a West Health-Gallup survey. The majority of borrowers were under 50, with only 2% over age 65, indicating that younger adults are disproportionately affected by high medical costs

Health Plan Enrollees Need More Education on Out-of-Pocket Costs

Although most health plan enrollees understand premiums and deductibles, there is confusion about prescription drug copays and out-of-pocket maximums, according to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Grenwald Research. The survey found overall satisfaction with health care is high, but there is a need for better education to help consumers make better-informed decisions.

2025 State of Patient Access Shows Persistent Barriers in Healthcare Affordability and Access

The 2025 State of Patient Access Report reveals ongoing struggles for patients with chronic conditions in accessing and affording healthcare. More than one in five patients find prescription medications unaffordable, and financial toxicity remains a significant burden, particularly for marginalized groups. The report’s national scorecard rates overall healthcare access at a “C,” with affordability of medications and financial strain showing declines from last year.

Make Medicare Beneficiaries Healthier by Strengthening Primary Care

A new issue brief outlines the central role that primary care must play in efforts to address chronic conditions, and ties decades of underinvestment in primary care to the rise in chronic conditions. It also identifies concrete solutions that can be scaled to strengthen care, providing people with the support they need to prevent and manage chronic conditions.

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