Author: Scott Welch
While digital health still holds plenty of promise in healthcare, the lack of cohesion between Medicare, Medicaid and commercial health plans about just what digital services should be covered is a major hindrance to its expansion, according to an issue brief (PDF) by the American Medical Association (AMA). Medicare follows coverage guidelines laid out by the Centers ...
The Biden administration has gutted many of former President Donald Trump’s health care policies, but there’s one that the White House has yet to touch, Kelly reports. It’s a 2019 rule that expanded individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements, or ICHRAs, which allowed employers to provide tax-exempt subsidies to help workers purchase Obamacare plans. The Biden administration’s ...
In a major victory for patients who depend on prescription drugs, Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia struck down a Trump administration federal rule that allowed health insurers to not count drug manufacturer copay assistance towards a beneficiary’s out-of-pocket costs. The case was brought against the U.S. Department of Health and ...
Seven percent. That’s the increase in medical costs for health plans that global consulting firm PwC estimates for 2024. But where did the number come from? Should health plan managers, and plan sponsors, be factoring it in with confidence? Based on PwC’s latest in-depth survey of health plan actuaries that represent 100 million covered lives, the answer is “yes.”
A deal more than a decade in the making came to fruition on Sept. 29, when CEOs for both Sansum Clinic and Sutter Health announced the finalization of a partnership between the two nonprofit health care entities. Based in Santa Barbara, Sansum is now part of Sutter Health, a Sacramento-based organization that operates a network ...
The industry is just two weeks away from the beginning of Medicare’s annual enrollment period, a critical window for the hottest market in insurance. The period begins Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, and Medicare beneficiaries will be tasked with the critical decision of enrolling in the fee-for-service program or opting instead for Medicare ...
Without federal intervention, states that have seen megamergers, such as Michigan and California, are often left to wrestle with the complex question of how to respond, given the likelihood of higher prices for their residents.
Consumers who’ve ordered free home coronavirus tests through a federal website could be in for a surprise: they might get kits with expiration dates that passed months ago. But experts say you shouldn’t immediately discard those tests. Even though you might not see it on the packaging, the federal government has extended expiration dates on many of ...
Self-improvement starts with simple changes you can easily implement in your life. Trying to make too many changes all at once is unlikely to be sustainable. When it comes to self-improvement, a big part involves creating goals, and then figuring out how you are going to reach those goals. While there are many different roads ...
Squeezing in time for a workout isn’t always easy in a work, family or school balancing act — but fitness pros explain that making exercise a priority provides both physical and mental health benefits. The advantages of early workouts range from boosting your energy, to getting a positive mindset to benefiting from prolonged health benefits including better ...