Author: Scott Welch
Employers and benefits advisors are facing a growing challenge: How to offer access to these high-demand, life-changing therapies without undermining the financial sustainability of their health plans.
Willows, Calif.-based Glenn Medical Center plans to close its emergency department, with the hospital closing shortly after, following CMS’ plan to revoke its critical access hospital designation, effective Oct. 21. “We are absolutely heartbroken to have to make this decision,” Lauren Still, GMC hospital administrator, said in an Aug. 22 news release shared with Becker’s. “Our ...
As a late-summer COVID-19 spike sweeps across the Bay Area, health experts warn that access to vaccines this fall will be clouded by confusion — and some believe that is intentional. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to restrict eligibility for the updated 2025–26 vaccines to adults 65 and older and those with underlying health conditions. Millions of Americans who ...
Teams spend months preparing for open enrollment (OE), fine-tuning every detail to ensure a smooth rollout. When new plans are on the table, those months are often consumed with finalizing details and building them into the benefits platform. Yet one critical piece is often overlooked: how these plans will be communicated to employees. The success ...
Almost 2 in 3 physicians say there aren’t enough qualified doctors to fill openings in their area, in another sign of how the health care workforce is straining to meet patient demand. The big picture: Mergers and acquisitions of practices, turnover from pandemic-era burnout and expansion into underserved areas are raising doubts about whether the nationwide shortage of ...
Many Americans are lacking an essential nutrient that could help reduce stress, improve sleep and ease anxiety and depression – but experts say a few simple tricks can help boost it. Studies have found that nearly 50% of Americans are deficient in magnesium, which can contribute to fatigue, muscle cramps, weakened bones, poor blood sugar control, and ...
A district court in Texas has ruled against the Department of Health and Human Services, deciding to vacate several provisions imposed last year impacting how Medicare Advantage (MA) plans market products. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule in April 2024 that fixed broker and agent compensation and raised the pay ...
Two pieces of legislation passed in this year’s Nevada legislative session are meant to directly benefit the health of Nevada’s 28 tribal nations. Governor Joe Lombardo broke his own record at the end of this legislative session, vetoing 87 bills. But two Indigenous healthcare bills did get Lombardo’s stamp of approval. Senate Bills 97 and ...
Owners of small and mid-sized businesses wish policymakers would take more notice of their health benefits problems. About 92% of the owners who participated in a recent online survey agreed with the statement that “government leaders aren’t doing enough” to address their health benefits problems. Even more, 93%, agreed that policymakers should come up with ...
Big U.S. employers expect median health care costs to rise 9% in 2026, according to new survey data from the Business Group on Health. That’s up from an 8% employer increase forecast for 2025, and it appears to be the biggest annual increase forecast that the employers have provided since 2010, when the Business Group on ...