Author: Scott Welch
Brushing and flossing are not the only factors that can impact your dental health: where you live can have an effect, too. WalletHub found that some areas of the United States have a higher density of dental professionals, and some states provide fluoridated water to nearly all of their residents, while other states fall behind. ...
The Federal Trade Commission and Cigna’s Evernorth unit have officially reached a settlement that resolves allegations that the company’s pharmacy benefit manager artificially drove up prices for insulin. As part of the settlement, Evernorth’s Express Scripts has agreed to several key business changes that are designed to reduce insulin prices significantly, the FTC said in ...
Health insurers are warning that flat Medicare Advantage rates, as proposed by the Trump administration late Monday, would likely force them to take a deep look at the benefits they offer. Chris Bond, spokesperson for AHIP, the key lobbying organization for the insurance industry, said in a statement that the organization and its members “welcome reforms ...
Health insurance CEOs testifying before Congress about whether they’re to blame for soaring health care costs have a plan: pass the buck. Five CEOs of major insurers will make the case that the health care premiums they set are rising because of prices charged by other health care players — like hospitals and drugmakers — ...
Six annual spending bills for the current budget year are awaiting action in the Senate this week, including a key appropriations package that would fund the Department of Health and Human Services through Sept. 30. But the sweeping government funding package is now in peril as Senate Democrats vowed to oppose it in the wake ...
More than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and other health care workers walked off the job early Monday, launching an open-ended strike across California and Hawaii that could disrupt operations at dozens of hospitals and hundreds of clinics. The workers, represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, say the strike was triggered by ...
The House passed a key appropriations package that would fund the Department of Health and Human Services through Sept. 30, including a step toward reforms for pharmacy benefit managers. The package passed by a 341-88 vote, and it includes elements that would prevent PBMs from tying compensation in Part D to the list price of ...
The House Ways and Means Committee hearing has concluded, bringing a long day of questioning for major health insurance executives to an end. More than nine hours of total questioning across two hearings touched on a slew of factors impacting the affordability of healthcare: the Affordable Care Act, claims denials, prior authorization and consolidation. Paul ...
On January 15, 2026, the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) issued new guidance in All-Plan Letter (APL) 26-002 clarifying the obligation of health care service plans, including Medi-Cal managed care plans, to reimburse providers for COVID-19 testing and immunizations. California Medical Association (CMA)-sponsored Senate Bill 510 (2021) requires health plans and insurers to reimburse providers ...
Pharmacies may have a better chance to win racketeering lawsuits against other insulin supply-chain players than health plans or patients do. U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti recently issued two rulings that let pharmacies, or “direct purchaser” plaintiffs, move ahead with claims against pharmacy benefit managers that were based on the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt ...