Month: November 2021
Americans have more ways than ever to access health care virtually, with direct-to-consumer companies popping up to treat minor issues on-demand and traditional health plans and providers offering their own telehealth services. Yet it’s not always clear how the booming direct-to-consumer platforms stack up against the more established offerings — a missing link that means ...
The House late Friday passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, leaving a vote on President Biden’s larger social and climate package until centrists in the Democratic Party get estimates on its full cost. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act now heads to the president’s desk for his signature, while the larger Build Back Better Act, ...
Trendy-looking websites promise convenience and freedom from networks, at far less than the cost of traditional health insurance. “Welcome to insurance that’s finally fair,” says one, in bold lettering. “Take care of your health with one easy app,” says another. It’s all part of shopping for health coverage in 2021. While they’re still niche products, ...
Nearly 100 million U.S. workers will be required to get the COVID vaccine by Jan. 4, with some workers allowed to test weekly instead, under sweeping federal rules released Thursday by the Biden administration that identifies COVID-19 as an occupational hazard. The regulations are aimed at health care workers and businesses with 100 or more ...
A federal judge found drug companies cannot unilaterally restrict sales of products discounted under the 340B program to contract pharmacies. But a separate ruling found that manufacturers don’t have to provide discounts. The opinions, released late Friday, are the latest in a legal fight between six drugmakers and the Biden administration over whether they must ...
UnitedHealth Group has topped the industry in profitability for the third straight quarter, according to company earnings reports. The healthcare giant reported $4.1 billion in profit in the third quarter, an increase of nearly $1 billion year over year. That’s leagues ahead of its main national insurer competitors, which were all largely on par with one ...
A $1.75 trillion social and climate spending framework Democrats unveiled Thursday would reform the health-care market in several ways, expanding access and reducing costs for millions of Americans.
Open enrollment for the nation’s largest state-run health insurance marketplace began Monday and runs through the end of January. Covered California sells individual health insurance plans to people who can’t get coverage through their job. Some people, depending on how much money they make, are eligible for deep discounts on their monthly premiums. Even families ...
There were days, nights and weekends in the early months of the pandemic when Denise Von Bargen was the only person running covid tests at the public health lab in Ventura County. She once had eight or nine employees to assist her, but, one by one, they had all retired or left for other jobs. ...
In June, Google announced a major update to its Google Ads platform, specifically for health insurance advertisers. Google will now restrict health insurance advertising on its Search, Display, and YouTube networks to only government exchanges, first-party providers, and licensed insurance producers.