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Compliance

This section focuses on health care compliance and regulations – both national and state – including the ACA. It includes changes in health care law, regulation, and court decisions and their impact on health insurance professionals, employers, and individuals.

How FTC's Noncompete Agreements Rule Could Impact Healthcare

Noncompete agreements have become so ubiquitous that a proposed rule published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) yesterday will affect almost all industries, experts say.

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New Variant XBB.1.5 Is ‘Most Transmissible’ Yet, Could Fuel Covid Wave

Three years after the novel coronavirus emerged, a new variant, XBB.1.5, is quickly becoming the dominant strain in parts of the United States because of a potent mix of mutations that makes it easier to spread broadly, including among those who have been previously infected or vaccinated. XBB.1.5, pegged by the World Health Organization as “the most transmissible” descendant ...

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China’s COVID Wave Threatens Another Snarl Of U.S. Medical Supply Chain

As Covid infections surge across China, the U.S. again risks falling short of medical supplies as that country struggles to keep factories running and goods flowing out of its ports. U.S. hospitals, health care companies and federal officials worked to lessen their dependence on China for medical goods after the first wave of Covid infections in 2020 ...

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Biden Team Eyes End Of COVID Emergency Declaration And Shift In Covid Team

When the Biden administration renews the Covid public health emergency this week, it will mark the 11th time since the coronavirus arrived that the government declared its presence a national crisis. It may also be the last. Senior Biden officials are targeting an end to the emergency designation for Covid as soon as the spring, ...

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Sen. Bernie Sanders To Target High Healthcare Costs As Leader Of Influential Committee

Longtime Congressman Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is expected next month to take the helm of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, bringing the Medicare-for-All proponent center stage in one of the nation’s most broadly influential health policy forums. The anticipated appointment comes after the current committee chair Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced that ...

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Behavioral Telehealth Loses Momentum Without a Regulatory Boost

Controlled substances became a little less controlled during the pandemic. That benefited both patients (for their health) and telehealth startups (to make money). Some potentially addictive medications — like buprenorphine and Adderall — are now far more available online to patients because of regulatory changes. Given the scarcity of qualified doctors to treat some of ...

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Options For CMS Drug Price Negotiations

In 2026, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate the maximum price of certain prescription drugs on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries for the first time in the history of the program. While the IRA specifies the criteria for selecting drugs eligible for negotiations—brand-name drugs that do not ...

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NAHU Rebrands as NABIP

The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), the preeminent organization for health insurance and employee benefits professionals, is rebranding as the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP).

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Exclusive: Drugmakers To Raise Prices On At Least 350 Drugs In U.S. In January

Drugmakers including Pfizer Inc (PFE.N), GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK.L), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY.N), AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.L) and Sanofi SA (SASY.PA) plan to raise prices in the United States on more than 350 unique drugs in early January, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors.

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Want a Clue on Health Care Costs in Advance? New Tools Take a Crack at It

Need medical treatment this year and want to nail down your out-of-pocket costs before you walk into the doctor’s office? There’s a new tool for that, at least for insured patients. As of Jan. 1, health insurers and employers that offer health plans must provide online calculators for patients to get detailed estimates of what ...

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