Author: Scott Welch
“This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.” Citing an investigation by The Markup and CalMatters, lawmakers in the House of Representatives are questioning why California’s state health insurance exchange shared sensitive health data with LinkedIn. In a letter sent last week to Jessica Altman, executive director of the state’s exchange, the lawmakers write ...
The Trump administration is shortening ObamaCare’s annual open enrollment period and ending the law’s coverage of immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children, according to a final rule announced Friday. The Biden administration made it easier and more affordable to sign up for Affordable Care Act plans, causing enrollment to swell to an all-time high. The Trump ...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized a rule that it says will address “the surge of improper enrollments” on Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges as well as take on wasteful spending. The agency said late Friday that there are likely millions of people who were improperly enrolled in ACA exchange plans. The CMS ...
At AHIP’s annual conference, the trade group told reporters they oppose the reconciliation bill moving through Congress because of the impacts it would have on Medicaid and the individual market. AHIP executives said they will continue to work with other prominent healthcare organizations to convince lawmakers to protect federal health programs and help Americans remain ...
New Commitments Aim to Accelerate Decision Timelines, Increase Transparency, Expand Access to Affordable, Quality Care
Senate Republicans are scrambling to rewrite major parts of their “big, beautiful bill” in deference to key holdouts and the chamber’s parliamentarian as the clock ticks on a self-imposed deadline. GOP leaders are aiming to start voting Thursday, but senators emerged from a closed-door briefing on the status of the megabill Monday night saying that some of ...
Proposed federal spending cuts to health care in Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” may increase some families’ medical debts by as much as $22,800, according to a new report from Third Way, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The Republican budget bill proposes $1.1 trillion in cuts to health care that target both Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage. ...
A group of cybercriminals hacked into data systems at insurance company Aflac, possibly gaining access to sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and health reports, the company said on Friday. Aflac, which boasts millions of customers, “identified suspicious activity” and “stopped the intrusion within hours,” the company said. The company attributed the attack to a “sophisticated ...
Taking longer walks could actually improve back pain, according to a new study. Researchers in Norway investigated how chronic low back pain, a “prevalent and costly condition,” could be reduced by regular physical activity, including accessible walking. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, measured daily walking volume and walking intensity among more than 11,000 ...
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee have unveiled that chamber’s version of the “big, beautiful” reconciliation package, which includes notable changes from the House’s proposal. The bill will be the subject of intense scrutiny in the Senate, where more moderate Republicans have balked at significant cuts to Medicaid while the party’s more conservative wing has ...