Author: Scott Welch

In the battle over what Congress should do to end surprise medical bills, both sides of the debate are pointing to California's experience—and drawing different conclusions. A law enacted in September 2016 put a cap on out-of-network charges, tied either to the median in-network contracted rates with insurers or 125% of Medicare—whichever is higher.

Congress may be attempting to take action against surprise bills that prove to be the financial undoing of so many consumers, but not if physician groups have anything to say about it.

Eight months ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom released a plan to lower the state’s prescription drug costs. The central idea: By consolidating the market power of state agencies into one statewide pool, California could gain greater leverage to negotiate with drugmakers.

If older workers have access to health care outside the workplace, do they choose to retire rather than keep working? Employers struggling to fill vacancies in a tight labor market might be wondering, concerned that the pool of older workers they have to draw on is shrinking. However, such does not appear to be the case.

When the House and Senate return from summer recess, surprise billing, drug pricing, and the so-called Cadillac tax are among the key healthcare issues that Congress wants to address.

HealthEquity, Inc. (HQY) ("HealthEquity" or the “Company”) today completed its acquisition of WageWorks, Inc., (WAGE) (“WageWorks”), to become a leading administrator of health savings accounts (“HSAs”) and complementary consumer-directed benefits (“CDBs”), including flexible spending and health reimbursement arrangements (“FSAs” and “HRAs”), COBRA and commuter benefits.

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) is blasting efforts by the Trump administration to recoup what Medicare managers see as excess risk-adjustment payments to Medicare Advantage plan providers.

Presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris unveiled her plan for Americans with disabilities on Thursday, with a focus on employment through access to education and social programs.

Looking back on my own fight with addiction, I now know that what I needed was long-term, qualified and safe care. A professional setting to be housed, receive medical care, and access peer support. However, too many patients fall prey to treatment facilities that are more interested in bilking insurance companies than in providing the support they need to enter and sustain long-term recovery.

In a career full of twists, turns and high-powered assignments, Thomas Insel may now be embarking on one of his most daunting tasks yet — helping California find its way out of a worrisome mental health care crisis.