Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in United States

Nightmare stories of nurses giving potent drugs meant for one patient to another and surgeons removing the wrong body parts have dominated recent headlines about medical care. Lest you assume those cases are the exceptions, a new study by patient-safety researchers provides some context.

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Health Insurers Want Rate Increases

Insurers will seek significant premium hikes under President Barack Obama’s health care law this summer — stiff medicine for consumers and voters ahead of the national political conventions.

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Medical Bills May Soon Be As Easy to Read As Credit Card Statements

There are few things as flat out baffling as a medical bill.

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Study: Expanding Generic Drug Use Could Save Billions

Health insurers and patients could safely save many billions of dollars annually by swapping out a more expensive drug for a less expensive generic in the same class of drugs, according to a study published Monday.

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Actuaries Outline Drivers of Health Insurance Premium Changes for 2017

As proposed health insurance premium rates for 2017 are being filed with state insurance departments across the country, actuaries are providing an early look at what’s driving changes in premium rates for 2017 within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual and small group markets. A new issue brief produced by the American Academy of Actuaries’ Individual and Small Group Markets Committee, “Drivers of 2017 Health Insurance Premium Changes,” outlines the drivers.

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Will People Comparison-Shop for Health Care?

If patients know how much their medical care costs, they’ll shop around for the cheapest option — and over time, health care costs will go down. At least, that’s the idea behind the drive to improve price transparency, a strategy embraced by Donald Trump, among others.

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Group Doctor Visits Gain Ground

WANT to spend more quality time with your doctor? Maybe you should try joining a group.

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Advocates Urging Immigrant Parents to Sign Up Children for Medi-Cal

About 170,000 children and teens are expected to qualify for coverage when Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid, is expanded on May 16. California is the first state in the nation to extend coverage to children in the U.S. illegally.

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Cigna Says Acquisition by Anthem May Not Happen This Year

Cigna Corp.’s acquisition by health-insurance rival Anthem (NYSE:ANTM) may not be approved this year, Cigna (NYSE:CI) said Friday in a regulatory filing.

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Access to Health-Care Prices Doesn’t Lower Spending

If people know how much health care services cost, they’ll shop for the best prices and spend less — or so the theory goes. That’s why the Massachusetts law intended to lower costs included a requirement that doctors, hospitals, and insurers provide cost estimates.

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