Author: Scott Welch
Employers are bracing for an expected 8.2% increase in per-employee benefit cost in 2027, even after factoring in planned cost-control measures. This not only would be the fifth-consecutive year of elevated cost growth but also would be the largest annual increase since 2003, according to the 2026 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans from Marsh. “Few ...
More employers are putting GLP-1 coverage on the chopping block as they prepare for a historic year of healthcare cost hikes. New figures from the Business Group on Health (BGH) find that 14% of employers have already dropped or plan to drop coverage of GLP-1s for weight management by 2027. Overall, fewer employers are covering ...
There has been an increased participation in Health Spending Accounts (HSA) as 83% of employees contributed to their accounts in 2025, up from 73.4% in 2024. That’s according to The Plan Sponsor Council of America’s (PSCA) 2026 Health Savings Account Survey. Despite the growth, only one-quarter of employers position HSAs as part of a long-term retirement ...
As “biohacks” like peptides, cold plunges and high-tech wearables grow in popularity, some advocates promote the idea of dramatically extending human life — but others say it’s better to focus on more healthy years rather than living forever. Dr. Annu Navani — chief medical officer at Le Reve Wellness in San Jose, California, where she leads advanced ...
The Trump administration on Monday announced that it has reached agreements with nine midsized pharmaceutical companies to offer most-favored nation (MFN) prices for prescription drugs to U.S. consumers. The agreements will provide every state Medicaid program access to MFN drug prices on products made by these companies. Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, ...
A health insurance giant is trying to show physicians and policymakers that it’s serious about reducing the impact of prior authorization reviews on providers and patients. UnitedHealth Group’s UnitedHealthcare unit has posted a list of procedure codes for about 1,700 procedures that will no longer be subject to routine prior authorization review requirements. The simpler items on ...
An international crime ring helps Americans get licensed as insurance agents or brokers, then uses the new producers’ credentials to bilk health insurers and the federal government. Officials at the Iowa Division of Insurance put out a warning about the new enrollment fraud strategy Tuesday. The criminals start by contacting job hunters or other would-be insurance producers. ...
One year into its creation, a $50 billion federal program aimed at improving rural healthcare lacks transparency, which could make it difficult to protect against fraud, identify successful projects, and ensure the program delivers on its promise to transform the system. Transparency “is really important to help protect the integrity of the program, ensure funds ...
Analysts at the Congressional Budget Office think members of Congress will need to know a lot about small employers’ health benefits this fall. The CBO posted a comprehensive guide to the small-employer health benefit market Tuesday. The agency’s analysts looked at options such as traditional self-insured health plans; association health plans; and ICHRA plans. High ...
Centene subsidiary Health Net is pulling out of the commercial employer group market in California and Oregon, the company confirmed to Becker’s. “Health Net has made the decision to exit the traditional commercial group business in California and Oregon in order to focus on government sponsored healthcare,” a spokesperson for the insurer said in a statement. ...