Author: Scott Welch
Three years after the novel coronavirus emerged, a new variant, XBB.1.5, is quickly becoming the dominant strain in parts of the United States because of a potent mix of mutations that makes it easier to spread broadly, including among those who have been previously infected or vaccinated. XBB.1.5, pegged by the World Health Organization as “the most transmissible” descendant ...
As Covid infections surge across China, the U.S. again risks falling short of medical supplies as that country struggles to keep factories running and goods flowing out of its ports. U.S. hospitals, health care companies and federal officials worked to lessen their dependence on China for medical goods after the first wave of Covid infections in 2020 ...
When the Biden administration renews the Covid public health emergency this week, it will mark the 11th time since the coronavirus arrived that the government declared its presence a national crisis. It may also be the last. Senior Biden officials are targeting an end to the emergency designation for Covid as soon as the spring, ...
Longtime Congressman Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is expected next month to take the helm of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, bringing the Medicare-for-All proponent center stage in one of the nation’s most broadly influential health policy forums. The anticipated appointment comes after the current committee chair Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced that ...
Controlled substances became a little less controlled during the pandemic. That benefited both patients (for their health) and telehealth startups (to make money). Some potentially addictive medications — like buprenorphine and Adderall — are now far more available online to patients because of regulatory changes. Given the scarcity of qualified doctors to treat some of ...
Open enrollment for health insurance plans in Nevada ends on Jan 15. It’s anticipated to be the largest enrollment for plans offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the state’s history, a development that is happening nationwide.
Drugmakers need more guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on how to calculate the best price for drugs sold on Medicare Part B, a key federal watchdog said.
In 2026, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate the maximum price of certain prescription drugs on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries for the first time in the history of the program. While the IRA specifies the criteria for selecting drugs eligible for negotiations—brand-name drugs that do not ...
The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), the preeminent organization for health insurance and employee benefits professionals, is rebranding as the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP).
Under new California law (SB 1242) effective January 1, 2023, California insurance agents are required to list their insurance license numbers on all email communications.