Ali Bers
@alicebers.bsky.social
360 followers 560 following 37 posts
Litigation director @ Center for Medicare Advocacy; former legal aid; interested in health care policy; views my own. She/her Western Mass
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Reposted by Ali Bers
larrylevitt.bsky.social
One political challenge for Republicans right now is that there is no constituency that directly benefits from allowing the ACA enhanced tax credits to expire. Yet, there are 22 million people who will see their out-of-pocket premiums go up.
Reposted by Ali Bers
timdickinson.bsky.social
"this is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law. Defendants have made a range of arguments that, if
accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power—to the detriment of this
nation."
kyledcheney.bsky.social
BREAKING: A federal judge has granted a restraining order blocking President Trump's call-up of the National Guard in Portland.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Ali Bers
drewaltman.bsky.social
Four in ten who buy their own coverage say they would go without coverage if ACA premiums doubled. They will increase 114% if enhanced tax credits are not extended: on.kff.org/4nACyIk
Reposted by Ali Bers
larrylevitt.bsky.social
New: Broad support across the political spectrum for extending enhanced ACA premium tax credits.
Reposted by Ali Bers
nycsouthpaw.bsky.social
I can’t say I know exactly how it all would have played out, but I would much rather live in the alternate universe where the leaders of Columbia University had stood up for the institution and all of its faculty and students.
robertscotthorton.bsky.social
The Act of Capitulation that Trump is demanding that all colleges and universities are to sign surrenders authority over vast areas to Trump, as the Dear Leader. www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/u...
alicebers.bsky.social
This week a Medicare beneficiary won a retrospective change of status appeal that granted him coverage of costly hospital services. The appeal was made possible by the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s class action case, litigated with amazing co-counsel @justiceinaging.org & @wilsonsonsini.bsky.social
Observation Status Appeal Results in Hospital Coverage - Center for Medicare Advocacy
New appeals process brought about by CMA litigation works!
medicareadvocacy.org
Reposted by Ali Bers
lizszabo.bsky.social
Great digging by Christina Jewett:
Dr. Oz previously acted as a pitchman for iHerb, which sells the vitamin supplement that he promoted as an autism treatment sitting during Trump’s press conference, and which the FDA is moving to approve for that use

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/h...
F.D.A.’s Approval of a Drug for Autism Upends Review Process
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Ali Bers
drjoehanson.bsky.social
We can save RFK Jr some time here, because we already know a lot about acetaminophen and autism!

There’s no increased risk of autism from use of this drug. This isn’t based on some small study. It’s thanks to a beautiful study of literally millions of children…
wapo.st/4nkMdCO
Trump administration set to tie Tylenol to autism risk, officials say
The Trump administration plans to tie Tylenol to autism risk while touting another drug, leucovorin, as a potential autism treatment.
wapo.st
Reposted by Ali Bers
larrylevitt.bsky.social
15 years after it passed, we're still debating Obamacare.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Ali Bers
larrylevitt.bsky.social
The Pitt has plans to tackle stories next season related to federal health care cuts. I've got some ideas in a new column out in @jama.com.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
alicebers.bsky.social
“Appealing a coverage denial demands a high degree of health insurance literacy and fortitude that most of us lack, especially in a health crisis….Thus, health care becomes rationed not through a final denial of coverage, but rather through accumulations of inconveniences as patients.”
mirandayaver.bsky.social
My latest for MSNBC: CMS is adding new prior authorization requirements for traditional Medicare, implemented with AI. Prior auth is a key vehicle for coverage denials that then drive administrative burdens of appealing, which seniors are less well equipped to navigate. www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
Opinion | Dr. Oz's new plan to root out Medicare 'waste' is actually a recipe for disaster
A pilot program in six states will require prior approval for procedures under traditional Medicare plans.
www.msnbc.com
Reposted by Ali Bers
Reposted by Ali Bers
annabower.bsky.social
Judge Sooknanan: As I said at the start of this hearing, I got a call at 2:36 am [last night] because the government chose the wee hours of the morning on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend to execute a plan to move these children. That's why we're here.
Reposted by Ali Bers
nilc.org
We will be in court shortly.
kyledcheney.bsky.social
BREAKING: Judge Sooknanan says the children are being removed right now so has advanced today’s hearing to 12:30pm. www.politico.com/news/2025/08...
Reposted by Ali Bers
nilc.org
BREAKING: We filed an emergency lawsuit to stop the Trump admin from unlawfully expelling hundreds of unaccompanied Guatemalan children from the U.S.

The targeting of children is vile. We will use every tool at our disposal to stop the administration from sending any child to danger.
Reposted by Ali Bers
petermorley.bsky.social
My Medicare Part D for 2026 is a 50% increase and I’m subsidized through Extra Help. Completely insane. I’ve been on Medicare since 2009 and I’ve never experienced this type of increase.
petermorley.bsky.social
Have you gotten your Medicare Part D plan 2026 notice yet? Your premium will be increasing thanks to Trump Administration scaling back subsidies instituted by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Medicare Supplements/Medigap plans already INCREASING.

medicareadvocacy.org/scale-back-o...
Scale Back of Demo Project Drives Higher Part D Plan Costs - Center for Medicare Advocacy
Limit on the monthly will go up to $50 in 2026, and cost reduction tool related to risk is being eliminated.
medicareadvocacy.org
Reposted by Ali Bers
gregsargent.bsky.social
Health officials under JB Pritzker, who is showing how to take on Trump, are moving forward. They're exploring buying vaccines in bulk themselves.

Mass. Gov Maura Healey is in talks with multiple other states about coordinating purchasing of pediatric vaccines.

newrepublic.com/article/1998...
Reposted by Ali Bers
gregsargent.bsky.social
Blue states can also buy vaccines in bulk and distribute them via their chief medical officer or via doctors, says @sbagen.bsky.social.

The idea would be to make vaccines available to all, including those restricted under RFK lunacy.

Great stuff from Sam here:

newrepublic.com/article/1998...
alicebers.bsky.social
“The companies represent ‘a whole new bounty hunter,’ said David A. Lipschutz, the co-director for the Center for Medicare Advocacy, one of the groups that has urged government officials to abandon the program.”
joshdrescher.bsky.social
However evil you think this is, it’s worse:

“The A.I. companies selected to oversee the program would have a strong financial incentive to deny claims. Medicare plans to pay them a share of the savings generated from rejections.”
Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Ali Bers
protectourcare.org
“Americans will die because of your Medicaid cuts.”

That’s the warning from a Chicago priest as Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” slashed more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the ACA. #ProtectOurCare
Reposted by Ali Bers
kff.org
KFF @kff.org · Aug 25
Medicare beneficiaries ages 85+ spend 22% of their income on out-of-pocket health care costs on average, more than double the 9% spent by beneficiaries ages 65-74.

The difference is largely due to higher out-of-pocket spending on long-term care. https://on.kff.org/4lL3R0S
Bar chart displaying out-of-pocket health care costs as a percentage of total income among Medicare beneficiaries by income level and age group in 2022. The chart shows: Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs Accounted for a Larger Share of Total Income Among Medicare Beneficiaries with Lower Incomes and Those Ages 85 and Older. Data from CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2022 Cost Supplement File, and the Urban Institute's DYNASIM.
Reposted by Ali Bers
jackjenkins.me
Lawyer says the ICE officer who took him did not answer when asked why he was being taken into custody.

A new lawsuit has been filed challenging his current confinement and potential deportation.

Crowd shouts “Shame! Shame!”
Reposted by Ali Bers
juliusgoat.bsky.social
The answer to real-life trolley problems? Return to your first instinct when confronted with a theoretical trolley problem, which is to break the premise.

You can't do that in the world of the theoretical. But you can in the real world. Can? Should. Should? Must.
alicebers.bsky.social
Thanks, excellent article