Author: Scott Welch
Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage reached $28,303 in 2026, up 5% from last year, according to KFF’s 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, released Oct. 22. Workers contributed an average of $7,471 toward family premiums, up 9% ($621) from 2025. Total family premiums, including employers’ contributions, increased by $1,310. The premium increase outpaced wage growth ...
Days before it was to go into effect, the Trump administration pushed back a U.S. customs rule threatening the supply of vital prescription drugs imported by millions of Americans. Under the rule, Customs and Border Protection and the FDA will require coding on packages that makes it easier to know what’s in them. It is ...
Cuts to federal programs and the loss of enhanced subsidies on the exchanges could deepen an existing healthcare affordability crisis, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund.
Enrollees must jump through more hoops to verify information about their income and residency status.
Dianne Williams said she lost weight and lowered her blood pressure thanks to quarterly doctor appointments, monthly phone calls with a nurse, and a blood pressure cuff she uses at home that transmits data to her care team. “It’s good to have somebody talk to you and tell you what your progress is like. And ...
California Senate Bill (SB) 729 requires fully insured Large Group health plans in California to include comprehensive infertility coverage, including in vitro fertilization (IVF). For fully insured Small Group plans, carriers must make at least one plan available with comprehensive infertility coverage – but the employer is not required to sponsor it. An employer can ...
Next July, new Medi-Cal rules prohibit seniors and people with disabilities from saving more than $21,000. State leaders say they needed to make cuts to deliver a balanced budget. Senior and disability rights advocates argue the cuts unfairly target vulnerable groups.
GLP-1 medications may provide health benefits that extend beyond weight loss, according to a growing body of research. From reducing cardiovascular risks to potentially easing joint pain and inflammation, studies suggest these drugs may affect multiple systems throughout the body. Here are seven potential benefits beyond shedding pounds. No. 1: Protecting heart health Research suggests ...
In March 2025, when California ran out of Medicaid funds to pay doctors and hospitals, the state borrowed $3.4 billion to keep the program afloat. It was, as a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom insisted, nothing new. Indeed, a handful of times over the years, the state had taken out internal, short-term loans to sustain ...
The state has not investigated 26,000 of its 28,000 highest-risk Medi-Cal providers, the report says. Health officials dispute it.