Author: Scott Welch
Republicans and Democrats on the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee joined Thursday to approve a total of 15 health care bills by voice votes. The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act of 2026, the Premium Transparency Act, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act and the Prices on the Wall Act of 2026 are approved bills that could directly affect employer-sponsored ...
After years of investigation, the outgoing chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has released his take on new legislation to reform the controversial 340B Drug Pricing Program. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, unveiled a legislative discussion draft that would stand as the first statutory update to the subsidy program in 15 years ...
Insurers and doctors’ groups, often divided over how to rein in health care costs, are now facing off over the Make America Healthy Again movement. The insurance industry is embracing MAHA, while the doctors’ lobby is pushing against the movement’s leader, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who many physicians see as a danger to public ...
The nation’s top pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) lobbying group is going on the offensive, stepping up its advocacy efforts against the pharmaceutical industry after Congress passed a PBM industry overhaul last winter. The pharmaceutical industry spent years pointing fingers at pharmacy benefit managers as the reason for high drug costs, and Congress finally was able to get ...
Common food preservatives may contribute to higher risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to a large French study. Researchers analyzed data from 112,395 adults averaging 42 years of age, assessing their detailed dietary intake with an average follow-up of nearly eight years. Among the participants, 5,544 developed hypertension during the follow-up period, and 2,450 ...
For much of this year, progressive lawmakers, labor unions and advocacy groups have pushed Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature to shore up the state’s healthcare system against federal cuts by taxing corporations more. After all, proponents argued, Republicans in Washington, D.C. cut into healthcare programs for California’s most vulnerable residents to pay for ...
“This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.” California lawmakers adopted a $356 billion state budget late Monday that would largely avoid or delay billions of dollars in social service cuts Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed last month. Then, the (real) budget negotiations can begin. The vote was only a formality, because ...
When Congress allowed covid-era subsidies for health insurance to expire, California used its own funds to offset the hike in Obamacare premium costs for residents with low incomes. But the reach has been limited. As Gov. Gavin Newsom negotiates his last budget with the legislature, the Democrat wants to offer financial help to more than ...
Health plans expect the cost of treating patients to climb in 2027, projecting the highest medical cost trend in nearly two decades with a 9% rise in commercial health costs, according to a new analysis from PwC. Payers are pointing the finger at several inflationary factors, including the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools by ...
Healthcare costs in the U.S. are growing faster than inflation, and the U.S. spends significantly more than other comparable nations on healthcare. And according to one healthcare executive, this is unsustainable. “The healthcare system is bankrupting and failing us. It requires systemic reform, and it’s not going to come from inside the industry,” said Paul Markovich, president ...