Supreme Court Upholds State Pharmacy Benefit Manager Regulations

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Arkansas’ regulations forcing pharmacy benefit managers to pay pharmacies at least their cost of acquiring a drug. The court unanimously sided with state regulators, which were supported by the Trump administration, in Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. The conflict in the case was over an Arkansas law that ...

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Fauci Predicts “Herd Immunity” For U.S. By Late Spring Or Early Summer

Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted Monday that the United States could achieve herd immunity against Covid-19 by “the end of the second quarter 2021” after vaccines are more widely deployed. Speaking to MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson, Fauci — director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — said that, depending on the “efficiency of the ...

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Annual New Year Benefits Compliance Responsibilities For Employers

Each year brings annual compliance responsibilities to employers regarding their health plans and federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) responsibility. It’s important for employers to be aware of – and adhere to – these responsibilities. An overlooked compliance item can result in significant non-compliance penalties in the federal ACA and COBRA spaces. ACA Applicable Large Employer ...

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FDA Staff Endorses Emergency Use Of Moderna’s Covid Vaccine In A Critical Step Toward Approval

The staff of the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday endorsed the emergency use of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, a critical step forward in winning formal clearance to be administered to the public as early as next week. The staff report is meant to brief the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which meets Thursday ...

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Most Americans Will Likely Get A COVID-19 Vaccine, Kaiser Family Foundation Survey Finds

A large majority of Americans, 71%, say they will “definitely or probably” get a Covid-19 vaccine, according to a survey out Tuesday from the Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s up from 63% in September – indicating a steady increase in trust as regulators worked to authorize the vaccine and held public meetings to discuss data supporting ...

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California Coronavirus Shutdown Will Last Through Christmas As Deaths Explode Past 20,000

For millions of Californians, the COVID-19 pandemic will provide a most unwelcome gift this Christmas: a wide-ranging shutdown imposed as the state grapples with its most massive and dangerous surge in infections and hospitalizations to date.

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ACA Defender Becerra Tapped For Biden’s HHS Chief

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday said he would nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead HHS in his administration. The move was somewhat of a surprise, as his name had not previously been circulated as among those in contention.

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In Becerra, an HHS Nominee With Political Skill But No Front-Line Health Experience

Xavier Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, is set to be a pandemic-era secretary with no public health experience. Whether that matters depends on whom you ask.

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The Increasing Dominance Of Insurtech

As we move into 2021, one thing is for certain: Companies will continue to embrace remote-working policies. Because of this, Insurtech (use of technology to increase efficiency in the insurance industry) will continue to influence how the health insurance industry operates.

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Some Southern California Business Owners Will Defy Governor’s Coronavirus Shutdown Order

From the apple-growing foothills of Oak Glen to the Pacific Ocean, owners of restaurants, wineries, resorts, hair salons and other enterprises said they would defy the coronavirus shutdown taking effect a minute before midnight on Sunday, Dec. 6.

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