Health Care Costs as Much as a New Car

Buying a new car every year would be a very impractical expense. It would also be cheaper than a year’s worth of health care for a family. Why it matters: The cost-shifting and complexity of health insurance can hide its high cost, which crowds out families’ other needs and depresses workers’ wages.

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Senate Battleground Dems Shun ‘Medicare for All’

The major battleground-state Democrats running to flip the Senate want nothing to do with "Medicare for All." In states like Arizona, Iowa and North Carolina, challengers Mark Kelly, Theresa Greenfield and Cal Cunningham are staying tightly focused on the health care message House Democrats used in 2018: expanding Medicaid, protecting Obamacare and slamming Republican repeal efforts.

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What Employers Should Know About California’s Proposed Worker Classification Bill

In May, the California State Assembly overwhelmingly passed a bill set to have a major impact on how companies classify their workers in the state. Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5) aims to codify the new standard expounded by Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles for determining whether workers regulated by the 17 Wage Orders in California are employees or independent contractors.

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Biden Knocks Trump, Democratic Rivals In New TV Ad Touting Affordable Care Act

Joe Biden knocks both President Trump and some of his fellow Democratic White House hopefuls in a television ad that debuted Tuesday in Iowa in which the former vice president suggests they are all a threat to the Affordable Care Act.

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Judge Cites Opioid ‘Menace,’ Awards Oklahoma $572M In Landmark Case

An Oklahoma judge has ruled that drugmaker Johnson & Johnson helped ignite the state’s opioid crisis by deceptively marketing painkillers and must pay $572 million to the state.

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Costly Specialty Drugs Make Up 40% of 2018 Employer Drug Spending Despite Few Prescriptions

Specialty drugs for treatments such as arthritis accounted for less than 1% of prescriptions for a major employer purchasing group but made up 40% of the group’s total drug spending last year, according to a new analysis.

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Here’s How the Top Insurers Performed in the 2nd Quarter of 2019

The country's biggest health insurers raked in more than $11 billion in profit in the second quarter, particularly as recent mergers and newly-launched business lines began to bear fruit. The clearest example of this trend is CVS Health, which posted a Q2 profit loss in 2018 but saw profits return to the black and revenues increase significantly following its acquisition of Aetna.

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Poll: 70% Support Adding Dental Coverage to Medicare

A new poll found that 70% of people surveyed agree dental benefits should be included in Medicare, as some Medicare Advantage (MA) plans include it as an extra benefit.

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Pharma Cash Rolls Into Congress To Defend An Embattled Industry

In the heat of the most ferocious battle over drug prices in years, pharmaceutical companies are showering U.S. senators with campaign cash as sweeping legislation heads toward the floor.

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Ranks of In-Network Specialists Rose Following Passage of California Surprise Billing Law

California legislation to prevent surprise billing did not result in a reduction of in-network doctors, a new study from the top insurer group found. After California passed its surprise billing law in 2016—under which doctors are paid either the physician’s average contracted rate (ACR) or 125% of the Medicare reimbursement rate—officials at America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) found the number of in-network doctors increased by 16%.

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