Trending News Today: Cutting Subsidies Would Increase Premiums 20% in 2018

A new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that cutting federal subsidies to insurers would result in a 20% increase in premiums for silver plans in 2018, according to Kaiser Health News. The CBO also found that eliminating subsidies would increase the federal deficit by an additional $194 billion over the next decade. While cutting subsidies was not expected to have much of an effect on the uninsured rate, it could result in a shift in which marketplace plans are more popular, according to the article.

Single-payer healthcare is controversial, but new survey results suggest it may be supported by physicians, Kaiser Health News reported. Approximately 56% of physicians strongly or somewhat support a single-payer system, while 58% opposed the system in 2008. A major driver for this change is that physicians welcome the idea of a clear and simple healthcare system without the burden of billing and paperwork, which can take away from patient care, according to the article.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced they will be canceling or scaling back several pilot programs implemented under former President Barack Obama, according to STAT. The programs were aimed at encouraging physicians to move away from fee-for-service and towards value-based care. The CMS is canceling pilot programs that pay hospitals a lump sum for certain procedures, including an initial visit, the surgery, and follow-up care, according to the article. Additionally, a program focused on cardiac rehabilitation will be canceled.