Author: Kalup Alexander

Having wiped out the requirement for people to have health insurance, Republicans in Congress are taking aim at a new target: the mandate in the Affordable Care Act that employers offer coverage to employees.

Many business and employer trade associations—such as chambers of commerce or farm bureaus—have long offered health insurance to their members, which often include self-employed individuals, small businesses, and large businesses. These associations often claimed ERISA preemption from state insurance regulation, identifying themselves as employers or employee organizations under ERISA. A number of these associations defrauded their members and left millions in unpaid claims when they became insolvent.

Despite a projected $6.1 billion surplus, Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget calls for only a modest increase in heath care spending.

The Congressional Budget Office has found that the repeal of Obamacare’s individual mandate, which requires people to have health insurance or pay a fine, will result in fewer people becoming uninsured than it had projected.

Lawmakers in both parties say that a long-running disagreement over children’s health funding has almost been resolved and that funding could be passed as soon as next week.

Dr. Mahendra Patel, a pediatric cancer doctor, has begun giving away medications to some of his patients, determined not to disrupt their treatments for serious illnesses like leukemia, should Congress fail to come up with renewed funding for an embattled children’s health program.

Two years ago, Aaron LeBato of Katy, Texas, bought an 11-month, short-term health plan for himself, his wife and three children after getting dropped from an Affordable Care Act plan due to a payment system error.

There was a 31% increase in merger and acquisition activity among insurance brokers in 2017, to a record 604 from 2016’s 461, Optis Partners L.L.C. said in a report Tuesday.

Healthcare has a cost problem. No one disputes that. But what many would dispute is the assertion that rapidly rising drug prices are the root cause of the problem. They are, as the latest data from the CMS and major hospital systems clearly show.

Alex Azar, Trump’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department, doubled down on his commitment to bringing down prescription drug prices Tuesday — and even added a new target for future policymaking: drug makers’ list prices.