No More Secrets: Congress Bans Pharmacist ‘Gag Orders’ On Drug Prices

For years, most pharmacists couldn’t give customers even a clue about an easy way to save money on prescription drugs. But the restraints are coming off.

Read More

DOJ Approves $69B CVS-Aetna Merger with Part D Divestiture

The Department of Justice (DOJ) approved a $69 billion CVS-Aetna merger on Wednesday after Aetna agreed to sell off its Part D business. 

Read More

LA Times Endorses Steve Poizner

Lots of state elected officials run for higher office, and most of them lose. Steve Poizner is one example; he served one term as the state insurance commissioner before running for governor in 2010, getting trounced by Meg Whitman in the Republican primary.

Read More

Concerns About Individual Market Stability Ease as Insurer Profits Surge in Q2

Insurers reported surging profits in the individual market during the second quarter of 2018, easing short-term concerns about the stability of those marketplaces.

Read More

High-Deductible Health Plans Fall From Grace In Employer-Based Coverage

With workers harder to find and Obamacare’s tax on generous coverage postponed, employers are hitting pause on a feature of job-based medical insurance much hated by employees: the high-deductible health plan.

Read More

Premiums for Employer-Sponsored Family Health Coverage Rise 5% to Average $19,616; Single Premiums Rise 3% to $6,896

Annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose 5 percent to average $19,616 this year, extending a seven-year run of moderate increases, finds the 2018 benchmark Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits Survey released today. On average, workers this year are contributing $5,547 toward the cost of family coverage, with employers paying the rest.

Read More

Forget the Savings. Employees Use HSAs as Spending Accounts

Employees by and large are using their HSAs as spending accounts rather than as tax-free long-term savings accounts and many still do not understand how to take advantage of these plans, according to a new survey from Willis Towers Watson.

Read More

Hospitals Make it Challenging for Patients to Access Medical Records

Under HIPAA, patients have the right to obtain a copy of their medical records. However, hospitals are making it difficult for them.

Read More

Medicare Advantage Plans Shift Their Financial Risk to Doctors

Dr. Christopher Rao jumped out of his office chair. He'd just learned an elderly patient at high risk of falling was resisting his advice to go to an inpatient rehabilitation facility following a hip fracture. 

Read More

Verma, Azar Take Aim at ‘Medicare for All’ Proposals

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma took another swipe at calls for a “Medicare for All” healthcare system this week, saying expanding those benefits to every American would “dilute” the program. 

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