Industry Pushes For More Time Before Surprise Billing Ban Enforced

Payers and hospitals say with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing and key elements still unreleased, it will be difficult to comply by Jan. 1.

Read More

Surgeon General: U.S. To ‘Monitor’ Whether Vaccine Exemptions Being Used Properly

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has advised that the Biden administration will “monitor” to ensure no one abuses COVID-19 vaccine exemptions. President Biden last week announced a mandate that required any company with at least 100 employees to mandate its workforce. The only way to avoid the mandate is to claim an exemption on either religious or medical grounds. Some critics ...

Read More

Survey: Employers Rethinking Return-To-Work Plans As COVID-19 Surges

The surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant has employers rethinking their plans for returning to work — and planning for business to stabilize later than expected, a new survey shows. Most employers expected a stabilized business environment by the end of this year, but their confidence has declined from 65% to 57% over the past ...

Read More

Retired Seniors in U.S. Aren’t Covered by Biden’s Vaccine Plan

President Joe Biden’s new Covid-19 plan will mandate vaccines for 100 million working Americans, but one group was conspicuously absent from this week’s announcement: senior citizens. They’re also the most likely to be hospitalized or die from the virus — by a wide margin. Retired seniors have been far more accepting of vaccines than their ...

Read More

ICU Beds Filling Up In California’s Central Valley Amid COVID Surge, Triggering Hospital Order

Hospitals in the heart of California’s Central Valley are running out of beds in their intensive care units, state officials announced Friday, as a more contagious version of the coronavirus continues to spread primarily among the unvaccinated population.

Read More

Cost Still The Main Hurdle For Small Business Employers Looking To Expand Benefits

Small business owners understand the value of offering benefits, but some struggle to afford them, and businesses can pay a high price tag for making mistakes in administration of benefits, a new report finds.

Read More

Telehealth’s Limits: Battle Over State Lines and Licensing Threatens Patients’ Options

If you live in one state, does it matter that the doctor treating you online is in another? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, and the ability to conduct certain virtual appointments may be nearing an end.

Read More

Actuaries Project Future Virus Surges, End Of Regulatory Flexibility Key Drivers In 2022 Rates

Uncertainty over future surges of COVID-19 and the end of regulatory flexibilities are going to be major drivers for 2022 premiums on the individual and small group markets, a new actuary report finds. The report, released Thursday (PDF) by the American Academy of Actuaries, finds insurers face major uncertainties like the end of the public health emergency ...

Read More

Medicare Trustees Project Hospital Fund To Run Out In 2026, Same Deadline As Year Before

Medicare’s insurance trust fund that pays hospitals is expected to run out of money in 2026, the same projection as last year, according to a new report from Medicare’s board of trustees. The report, released Tuesday, found Medicare spent $925.8 billion in 2020 and served 62.6 million people. It found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a ...

Read More

Pfizer COVID Booster Shots Will Likely Be Ready Sept. 20, But Moderna May Be Delayed, Fauci Says

The U.S. will likely start to widely distribute Pfizer Covid-19 booster shots during the week of Sept. 20, but the rollout for Moderna’s vaccine could be delayed, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday. The Biden administration has announced plans to offer third doses to people who received the Pfizer and Moderna shots, pending approval ...

Read More
arrowcaret-downclosefacebook-squarehamburgerinstagram-squarelinkedin-squarepauseplaytwitter-squareyoutube-square