Trending News Today: Government Renews Push for Young Adults to Sign up for Insurance

With open enrollment coming up, the federal government is pushing for young adults aged 18 to 34 to sign up for health insurance in Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges. The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are planning to appeal to the younger, uninsured population who paid the penalty for not having health insurance this past year, USA Today reported. They believe this population will respond better to emails near the deadline when they are likely to pay closer attention.

A recent study suggests that because of the ACA, national healthcare spending will be $2.6 trillion less over a 5-year period than previously estimated by CMS. The researchers said that slower spending could make arguments about the ACA increasing spending invalid. A part of decreased spending is that hospital readmission rates fell during this time, according to The Washington Post.

HIV-positive patients in Nevada’s prisons are being discriminated against and not allowed to participate in work programs that could reduce their sentences, The Washington Post reported. If the state does not change its policies, it could be sued under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Justice Department is recommending the state pays damages to HIV-positive inmates who have been discriminated against.