A proposal to tax California’s billionaires has fractured Democratic politics, repelled some of the state’s richest residents and exploded into a costly battle that’s overshadowing even the gubernatorial election. Known as Proposition 40, the ballot measure is also dividing the very industry it’s supposed to help. The healthcare-workers union behind the initiative, which would authorize ...
Amye Joseph says America’s political polarization has made it an “interesting time” in her Tennessee household. She and her husband, Charlie, have been married 35 years. She’s a Republican. He’s a Democrat. But their shared disenchantment with profit-driven healthcare has provided a unifying target: pharmacy benefit managers, known as PBMs. The Josephs’ frustration is focused ...
The Trump administration is projecting significant declines in premiums for Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Monday that it expects weighted MA premium costs to decline by more than 16% in 2027 compared to 2026, with Medicare Advantage prescription drug premiums set to decrease by 38% year-over-year. The ...
Vendors insist their AI-assisted coding tools can correct years of under-documentation, but insurers say the tools are driving up healthcare costs for patients.
Hospitals’ increasing use of artificial intelligence for patient coding has increased the frequency of inpatient stays classified as medically complex—boosting the bills sent to payers despite no apparent changes in the care being delivered, according to a new claims analysis from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The association found that the share of medically ...
Private-sector employers in the United States are facing much higher health insurance costs but struggling to hold their benefits packages together. The Bureau of Labor Statistics painted that picture today in a new batch of National Compensation Survey employee benefits data. The average cost of health benefits for a single employee at a private-sector employer ...