Trending News Today: Former Obama Officials to Shore Up Enrollment in ACA Plans

Lori Lodes and Joshua Peck—who spearheaded efforts to enroll patients in Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans under former president Barack Obama—recently launched Get America Covered to sign individuals up for insurance, The Hill reported. The former Obama officials launched the group to fill the gap left by funding cuts for outreach efforts under the Trump administration, including advertisements and insurance navigators. The group will host digital ads and is partnering with celebrities to ensure that Americans sign up for insurance, according to the article.

GOP leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are requesting $1 billion in additional funding for Medicaid to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria, The New York Times reported. The proposal is included as part of a bill to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which expired on September 30, 2017. Due to the hurricane damage, Puerto Rico experienced devastation that left hospitals struggling and citizens without water, electricity, and phone service, according to the Times.

The American Cancer Society recently found that the breast cancer mortality rate decreased 39% between 1989 and 2015, according to The Washington Post. The investigators found that the decline in the mortality rate is the result of improved treatments and early detection methods, including mammography. Improvements in chemotherapy, along with the development of tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, Herceptin, and targeted therapies, have all led to a significant reduction in breast cancer deaths, according to the article. However, breast cancer still leads to thousands of deaths each year and more needs to be done to prevent this.