Author: Scott Welch
The Trump administration proposed new payment cuts in Medicare for prescription drugs, even as pharmaceutical companies struck deals with the government in an effort to avoid just such measures. Friday evening, after an event with drugmakers at the White House, the administration said it plans to slash what Medicare pays for certain medicines administered in physicians’ offices ...
In July, the Trump administration passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, otherwise known as the budget reconciliation bill. The law, H.R. 1, has made waves for its historic nearly $1 trillion cut to federal Medicaid spending over 10 years. Healthcare stakeholders have been vocal opponents of the move. H.R. 1 brings the first-ever national work requirements to the ...
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday he remains confident that Congress will extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits despite persistent opposition from Republicans. In a Sunday morning interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl on “This Week,” Jeffries dismissed Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s remarks that a clean three-year extension of the credits would be ...
When UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley returned to the helm of the healthcare giant earlier this year, he committed to a deep review of the company’s processes in the wake of months of turmoil. UHG posted the results of the first independent audits conducted under this effort on Friday morning, with the initial reviews focusing on risk ...
Seasonal viruses—including influenza and norovirus—are surging across country ahead of one of the busiest holiday travel weeks, increasing the risk of outbreaks among families gathering to celebrate. Health officials warned that this season’s flu is being driven largely by the newly identified H3N2 subclade K strain, which shows signs of increased transmissibility and reduced vaccine match. Simultaneously, norovirus infections are reaching high levels in numerous ...
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the oral version of Novo Nordisk’s injectable weight loss drug Wegovy, making it the first GLP-1 pill to be cleared by regulators for obesity and possibly allowing many more Americans to access a highly effective treatment. The Wegovy pill, whose approval for weight loss was widely anticipated, ...
During the cold winter months, many people find themselves hungrier than usual, reaching for larger portions and cozy comfort foods. While cold temperatures are often blamed for winter weight gain, experts say the causes actually involve shorter days, disrupted circadian rhythms and subtle hormonal shifts. “Winter appetite changes are more strongly influenced by reduced daylight and sunlight ...
Thousands of middle-income Nevada residents are likely to lose subsidies easing the cost of health insurance purchased through public marketplaces despite steps from both parties to address the issue. Even with the lengthy back-and-forth over whether to extend the subsidies, Washington, D.C., observers say they’re expecting them to expire by the end of the year, just as ...
UPDATED: 7:45 p.m. on Dec. 17 The House of Representatives passed a Republican-led package that seeks to address the affordability of healthcare without an extension of the soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act subsidies. The 216-211 vote averted a last-ditch effort from Democrats and several moderate Republicans to force a vote on a subsidy extension. All Democrats ...
Employer-sponsored insurance may be getting costlier, but it still delivers a positive return for firms that cover their workers, according to a new Avalere Health analysis commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and provided first to Axios. Why it matters: Workplace insurance is the backbone of the American health care system, covering around half of ...