Author: Scott Welch

Most hospitals aren’t fully complying with a new federal rule requiring them to make their prices available, according to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Why it matters: The goal of the regulation is to allow price shopping and, thus lower costs, although it’s unclear whether it’d have this effect. The big picture: Hospital prices can vary ...

Democrats are committed to passing legislation this year to curb prescription drug prices, but they’re still disagreeing on how to cut costs for patients and taxpayers while preserving profits that lure investors to back potentially promising treatments. It boils down to finding a balance: How big a stick should Medicare have to negotiate prices with ...

Dive Brief: * HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday sent a letter to healthcare providers and insurers reminding them that COVID-19 vaccines and testing must be free without charge for patients. * The agency said Becerra issued the warning following recent reports of Americans facing costs associated with coronavirus vaccinations and tests. Becerra’s letter forcefully states that group health plans and health insurers ...

Gov. Steve Sisolak signed several public health-related bills, including state Democrats’ signature legislation establishing Nevada as only the second state in the nation to offer a public health insurance option, during ceremony Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Once again, the healthcare industry will be closely watching the Supreme Court on Thursday to see whether the high court delivers an opinion in the controversial case that could overturn the Affordable Care Act, throwing coverage for millions into question.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said guidance is coming to help providers meet a June 30 deadline to spend all their COVID-19 relief funds but didn’t endorse an extension that several groups have called for.

The Labor Department will limit long-awaited emergency Covid-19 workplace safety rules to the health care sector, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said Wednesday, a decision that disappointed unions pushing for more expansive rules but that will likely be a relief to businesses worried about new costs.

Nevada’s COVID-19 test positivity rate dropped on Tuesday as the state reported more than 200 additional coronavirus cases, data released today shows. Nearly 41% of Nevadans eligible for the vaccine have completed vaccinations. CASES & DEATHS & TESTING Nevada reported 217 new COVID-19 cases, most from Clark County (209), in the past day. The state’s ...

Both Amazon and Walmart announced plans this week to offer discounted prescriptions to consumers — effectively encouraging them to forego their existing health insurance benefits. As Bloomberg.com reports, Amazon now offers six-month prescriptions starting at $6 for medications that treat common ailments. Because most insurance companies don’t cover six-month prescriptions, the move is considered a way to ...

A new analysis predicts that medical cost increases will moderate slightly in the U.S. in 2022, following a higher rate of increase in 2021 as the health system deals with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis, by the PwC Health Research Institute (HRI), is the latest installment of the Institute’s annual cost trend ...