• Georgia: According to new CDC data, the national uninsured rate has increased from 7.7% to 8.2%, largely due to statewide Medicaid redeterminations, which led to millions of Americans losing coverage. In March 2023, over 25 million people were uninsured. This later increased to over 27 million people in March 2024, including more than a million adults and 700,000 children under 18. Since states started redetermining Medicaid eligibility, almost 25 million people have lost coverage, though many found other forms of coverage, either through marketplace plans or employer health plans. In particular, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces have seen record levels of enrollment as former Medicaid beneficiaries enroll in subsidized ACA plans. According to CDC, over 16.6 million people had an ACA health plan as of March 2024. However, millions of people who became ineligible for Medicaid didn't find another form of health insurance. Currently, the federal government is working with states to increase automatic Medicaid renewals. (Herman, STAT, 8/6)
• Massachusetts: According to a new observational study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may be linked to an eye condition called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which can cause vision loss. In the study, researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear analyzed data from patients who either had type 2 diabetes or obesity. Among 710 patients with type 2 diabetes, there were 17 cases of NAION among those prescribed GLP-1 drugs, equivalent to a cumulative rate of 8.9% over three years. In comparison, there were only six cases of NAION among patients prescribed non-GLP-1 diabetes drugs, which equaled a cumulative rate of 1.8%. Similar results were found among patients with obesity who were prescribed GLP-1 drugs. Among those prescribed GLP-1 drugs, the cumulative rate of NAION was 6.7%, compared to 0.8% for those prescribed non-GLP-1 drugs. Overall, there was a 4.28 times greater risk of NAION for patients prescribed GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and a 7.64 times greater risk for those prescribed GLP-1 drugs for obesity. "This study shows an association that we didn't know about before, and what it should do is give people added information to make a good, well-informed decision about them taking the medicine," said Joseph Rizzo, senior author on the study and a neuro-ophthalmologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. "It doesn't mean they shouldn't take it. People are going to have a different sense of risk about whether they want to take it or not." (Chen, STAT+ [subscription required], 7/3)
• New York: WeightWatchers' CMO Amy Meister has stepped down from her position after less than a year with the company. According to a WeightWatchers spokesperson, the company said Meister has been "an asset to our organization" and that it's "grateful for her contributions to our weight health mission." Meanwhile, the company has also laid off employees and cut costs as it struggles financially, especially with new obesity treatments on the market. The company expects to save around $100 million a year by streamlining its business and cutting an undisclosed number of positions. According to Bloomberg/Modern Healthcare, WeightWatchers' shares dropped 5% in premarket trading after the layoff news. So far this year, the company's shares have lost around 90% of their value as popular weight-loss medications erode demand for its trademark diet plans. (Muller et al., Bloomberg/Modern Healthcare, 7/25; Garde, Bloomberg/Modern Healthcare, 8/1)

The Medicaid unwinding shed light on significant gaps in the redetermination process, prompting health plans to rethink their strategies for the future. Explore ways to address cost management, health equity, care quality, provider relations, and member engagement to navigate the changing Medicaid landscape with success.