Month: September 2024
The ERISA Industry Committee, a group for employers with self-funded benefit plans, says Congress should make pharmacy benefit managers fiduciaries. ERIC notes that its own employer members have been fiduciaries for decades.
Nearly 3 in 4 employed Americans would accept a job with a slightly lower salary if it offered better health care and medical coverage, including lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs, a new Voya Financial survey found.
MLRs are calculated based on calendar year spending. If insurers fail to meet the required thresholds, they must rebate premiums to policyholders by September 30th of the following year.
The Internal Revenue Service has updated an important employee benefits tax compliance document: a list of answers to frequently asked questions about how to apply the rules for the Affordable Care Act premium tax credit.
The CEO of Novo Nordisk is set to appear before a Senate panel Tuesday to be grilled on the high cost of Ozempic and Wegovy, the popular drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity. But health economists say it’s unlikely that congressional pressure will be the driving force to get the prices down. Sen. Bernie ...
A U.S. appeals court revived a lawsuit on Friday by healthcare and drug industry groups challenging the first-ever U.S. law requiring pharmaceutical companies to negotiate drug prices with the government’s Medicare health insurance program that covers 66 million people. The decision from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not address the ...
The Federal Trade Commission took action Friday against the nation’s three largest pharmacy benefit managers, accusing the companies of artificially inflating insulin list prices that resulted in patients paying more for the medications. The agency alleges that CVS Health’s Caremark Rx, Cigna’s Express Scripts and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx and their affiliated group purchasing organizations ...
A seemingly innocuous proposal to offer scholarships for mental health workers in California’s new court-ordered treatment program has sparked debate over whether the state should prioritize that program or tackle a wider labor shortage in behavioral health services. Nine counties have begun rolling out the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act, which Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ...
The bill would extend pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities in Medicare for another two years, averting a looming year-end deadline.
The fall festivals that lie ahead this year not only serve up festive fun — they also serve up some healthy and delicious dishes for everyone. Autumn, which officially begins on Sept. 22 this year, is a wonderful time to take advantage of fresh produce that can provide essential vitamins and health benefits, medical experts advise. ...