Employer Sponsored vs. ACA Plans, Pharmacy Closures, & Chocolate In Type 2 Diabetes

Hey all,

I’m starting today’s round up on a somber note. I am no fan of the health insurance companies and regularly criticize their executives. That being said, the murder of the UnitedHealth Insurance CEO does not make healthcare more affordable and it leaves a wife and kids without a husband and father.

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroCard)

Employer-Sponsored vs. ACA Exchange Plans (GAO Report)

A GAO report found that people with ACA exchange plans paid less for premiums ($109 monthly with subsidies) than workers with employer plans ($150 monthly), but exchange plans offered leaner benefits, including higher deductibles. Employer plans had better cost-sharing provisions, such as a lower average deductible ($1,902 vs. $2,536). These findings highlight the trade-offs between affordability and coverage richness, especially for those without ACA subsidies. Full Report.

Pharmacy Closures in Underserved Areas (Health Affairs) 

A study in Health Affairs reveals widespread closures of pharmacies in rural and underserved areas, worsening healthcare access gaps and leaving many communities without vital resources. While the findings urge targeted policy reforms to support struggling pharmacies, it’s worth noting that in February 2023, the PBM lobby issued a press release cheerily insisting that the independent pharmacy market is “stable”—a statement as grounded in reality as claiming an umbrella works in a hurricane. Full Study.

Chocolate & Type 2 Diabetes Study (BMJ)

A large-scale prospective study following over 190,000 healthcare professionals has found that consuming dark chocolate, but not milk chocolate, is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with participants consuming 5 or more servings per week showing a 21% lower risk compared to rare consumers. This significant finding highlights the potential differential health effects between chocolate types, likely due to dark chocolate's higher flavanol content, though the researchers emphasize that further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these results. Full Article