Author: Scott Welch
A relatively small share of drugs made up the majority of Medicare drug spending, according to a new analysis that gives an idea of how drug price negotiations could impact overall spending. The analysis, released Monday from the Kaiser Family Foundation, examined the top drugs for both Medicare Part D and Part B. The costliest drugs ...
Employment in the U.S. healthcare industry has dropped by 44,000 jobs over the course of the first quarter of 2021, according to reports from nonprofit healthcare research and consulting group Altarum. These job losses came alongside continued spending growth recovery and increases in overall healthcare prices. Modest employment gains in February and March were unable to ...
Nearly a third of Californians 18 and older — 30.7 percent — are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a key metric just days after the state made everyone 16 and older eligible for a dose. More than half of adults — 53.3 percent — have received at least one shot of the vaccination, according to data ...
A limited number of spectators will be allowed at the U.S. Women’s Open in San Francisco and the U.S. Open in San Diego in June provided they are vaccinated or can show proof of a negative test for the coronavirus. The USGA announced the policy Monday after consulting with California health officials. While the U.S. ...
Now that COVID-19 vaccines are becoming more widely available, many employers are faced with an important decision: whether to require or simply encourage employees to get vaccinated. This decision can be fraught with difficulties if not handled correctly. In advising clients on how best to deal with the vaccine issue, three common mistakes employers make ...
Nevada’s COVID-19 test positivity rate on Monday increased for the first time in nearly three months, according to state data. The uptick in the two-week daily positivity rate to 4.3 percent came after a week where the rate remained unchanged at 4.2 percent.
A controversial price transparency rule that went into effect in January was intended to enable consumers to comparison shop for certain healthcare services. But a new study from Kaiser Family Foundation discovered that such comparison shopping is difficult among different providers. The study, published Friday, also found that few hospitals are giving out payer-negotiated rates, a key ...
The House on Tuesday approved a bill that would put off automatic cuts to Medicare provider payments until the end of the year. The bill passed with a strong bipartisan majority of 384-38. Technically, the House vote comes nearly two weeks after the cuts were set to take effect, but the delay came with knowledge ...
Employers commonly allow employees to fund their portions of health premiums – that is, their employee contributions – with pre-tax dollars. This feature is so common that many employers (incorrectly) assume they are automatically privileged to utilize pre-tax dollars to fund benefits, just by sponsoring a health plan alone. While there is some work involved ...
Chuck Peterson of Omaha, Nebraska, recently experienced a swollen, painful knuckle caused by arthritis. He got a prescription for colchicine. Doctors have used the drug for treating gout and other rheumatic conditions for well over two centuries. When Peterson went to the pharmacy, he was shocked to discover that a two-month supply of 120 pills, ...