Protecting California’s Seniors From Surprise Hospital, Nursing Home Bills

Californians with Medicare coverage would no longer be surprised by huge medical bills stemming from “observation care” in hospitals under legislation that state lawmakers approved overwhelmingly last week and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown to sign into law.

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Fewer Than A Third of Medicare ACOs Received Bonuses Last Year

The mixed results for Medicare accountable care organizations continued last year with fewer than one-third of them qualifying for bonus payments, the CMS said Thursday.

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HHS Says 2017 ACA Plans Will Still Be Affordable Despite Insurer Exits

The Obama administration is fighting the notion that recent bad news for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, including multiple insurers pulling out and reports of skyrocketing premium rates, will sink the exchanges.

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5 Things to Know About Health-Care Spending in the U.S.

Despite a slowdown in the growth rate of overall national health expenditures, Americans are seeing more of their paychecks go to health-care costs. The increase is largely thanks to cost-shifting through higher deductibles in plans offered by employers, which cover the majority of workers and their families. The trend has hit middle-income households the hardest. Here are five things to know about trends in U.S. health-care spending.

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Analysis Predicts 10.1 Million Will Be Enrolled in Exchanges at End of 2016

A new analysis predicts there will be 10.1 million people enrolled in exchange plans by the end of 2016, less than half of the number originally predicted by the Congressional Budget Office in 2010.

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How Expanding Medicaid Can Lower Insurance Premiums for All

The Obama administration for years has been pleading with states to expand their Medicaid programs and offer health coverage to low-income people. Now it has a further argument in its favor: Expansion of Medicaid could lower insurance prices for everyone else.

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Mylan Tries Again to Quell Pricing Outrage by Offering Generic EpiPen

In its latest move to quell outrage over its price increases, the maker of the EpiPen has resorted to an unusual tactic — introducing a generic version of its own product.

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Drug Companies Spend Millions to Keep Charging High Prices

Pharmaceutical heavyweight Mylan, the latest poster child for drug-industry greed, finally stuck up for itself Thursday. It argued that “the system,” not avarice, was to blame for the company jacking up the price of EpiPens, a common (and life-saving) allergy remedy, by over 400%.

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Bill to Alert Consumers of ‘Unreasonable’ Health Plan Rate Hikes Heads to Governor

Under existing law, the California Department of Managed Health Care and the California Department of Insurance review rate hikes proposed by the insurers and health plans each regulates.

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After 16 Years Of Debate, Legislation On Surprise Medical Bills Pushes Forward

A measure to protect California consumers from surprise medical bills — among the longest-debated issues to be considered by state lawmakers — moved closer than it’s ever been to becoming law when the Senate approved it Monday with a 35-1 vote.

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