Trending News Today: Congressional Budget Office Releases Report About Future of ACA

A new draft guidance from the US Preventive Services Task Force suggests that many women should receive a Pap test or an HPV test to screen for cervical cancer instead of getting a co-test, according to Kaiser Health News. While both tests examine cervical cells, the Pap test looks for abnormal cells, whereas the HPV test looks for strains of the virus. The agency recommends against the co-test for women aged 30 to 65 years, but they continue to recommend women aged 21 to 29 years receive the Pap test every 3 years, according to the article.

Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report that projects premiums for silver plans will increase an average of 15% in 2018, according to The Hill. Insurers have until the end of September to determine if they will participate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces, and many have already decided against selling plans in 2018. The CBO said that the significant premium hike is likely the result of uncertainty of the ACA, including the threat of lost subsidies and the lack of insurers participating.

The new CBO report suggests that enrollment in the 2018 marketplace will be less than previously thought. In addition to premium increases, the Trump administration has cut spending on advertisement, halved the open enrollment period, and lessened outreach efforts, all of which will likely affect the uninsured rate, The New York Times reported. The CBO projects that the average monthly enrollment—for those whose employment or access to public health plans changes—will be reduced by 4 million from the 2017 forecast, according to the Times.