Trending News Today: HIV/AIDS Related Deaths on the Decline

A report released by the Congressional Budget Office shows that repealing the Affordable Care Act instead of replacing it would result in 32 million more uninsured Americans and would double premiums over the next 10 years, according to Politico. The legislation is an updated version of a repeal proposition that was introduced in 2015. The report indicated that the revived bill would result in 17 million Americans losing insurance and would increase premiums 25% within 1 year; however, it would cut the deficit by $473 billion over the next decade, according to the article.

Yesterday, a congressional auditor testified that the federal government made more than $16 billion in improper payments to Medicare Advantage plans last year, according to Kaiser Health News. In addition to overpayment to Medicare, improper payments were projected to reach nearly $60 billion last year. These findings highlight the need for significant changes to prevent substantial overpayments to Medicare and Medicare Advantage, Kaiser reported.

The United Nations reported that for the first time, more than half of all patients with HIV are receiving treatment. Additionally, AIDS-related deaths have been plummeting, with the rate slashed in half since 2005, USA Today reported. Despite the promising progress, experts question whether the billions spent within the past 20 years on HIV and AIDS should have reduced the rate even further, according to the article.