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Industry Updates

This broad category includes articles concerning health insurance costs, carrier and health plan news, changing benefits technology, and surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation and others on employee benefits.

IRS Employer Health Insurance ‘Pay-Or-Play’ Penalties To Rise 15.2% In 2026

The new numbers will affect what some employers owe if employees apply, and get, federal premium subsidies.

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Health Insurance Companies Have A Problem — People Are Using Their Plans More

When medical insurance provider Centene (CNC) opened its books to investors on Friday, the company reported a surprising loss and an uptick in usage. The latter is a broader problem for the industry. In the second quarter, Centene reported an adjusted loss of $79 million and a “health benefits ratio” of 93%. Its benefits ratio, or the ...

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High Part D Premium Hikes In CMS’ Crosshairs For 2026 Bids

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has published its preliminary technical Medicare Part D bid information for the 2026 contract year, with updates intended to limit significant increases in cost-sharing and premium hikes. The changes in how CMS approves certain standalone prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors have resulted in the first-ever rejections of standalone PDP bids. ...

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EU-US Trade Deal Could Add Up To $19 Billion In Pharma Industry Costs, Analysts Say

The European Union’s trade deal with the United States could cost the pharmaceutical industry between $13 billion and $19 billion as branded medicines become subject to a tariff of 15%, analysts said on Monday. The added costs could raise prices for consumers unless pharmaceutical companies take action to mitigate the impact of the tariffs, one of the ...

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Benefits Council Asks Congress To Restore Expanding 340B Program To Its Original Intent

The American Benefits Council is urging Congress to consider the cost to employers, workers and their families as it proposes changes to the 340B drug pricing program.

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RFK Jr. Plans To Remove All Members Of US Preventive Services Task Force: WSJ Report

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering ousting all the members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a key advisory panel that offers guidance on preventive services, according to media reports. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that RFK Jr. plans to dismiss all 16 panel members of ...

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Trump’s Labor Department Proposes More Than 60 Rule Changes In A Push To Deregulate Workplaces

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Labor is aiming to rewrite or repeal more than 60 “obsolete” workplace regulations, ranging from minimum wage requirements for home health care workers and people with disabilities to standards governing exposure to harmful substances. If approved, the wide-ranging changes unveiled this month also would affect working conditions at constructions sites and in ...

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Trump Tax Law Runs Up Deficit By $3.4T, Throws 10 Million Off Health Insurance, CBO Says

Republicans’ “big, beautiful” law will add $3.394 trillion to deficits during the next decade and lead 10 million people to lose access to health insurance, according to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The updated assessment of the sweeping tax and spending cuts law came weeks after nearly every GOP lawmaker ...

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GOP Lawmakers Eye Medicare Advantage Reform

A number of Republicans criticized Medicare Advantage during a congressional hearing on Tuesday, suggesting that the privatized Medicare program could be due for an overhaul from Washington. Calls to reform MA from Democrats are nothing new. But members of the GOP condemning MA is notable given the party’s traditional support for the program, in which ...

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Bipartisan Bill Aims To Ensure Parity Between Reimbursement In MA, Traditional Medicare

A new bipartisan bill would mandate that Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers “adequately reimburse” providers for services, citing a trend of health systems pulling out of MA contracts. The Prompt and Fair Pay Act was introduced by Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, and Greg Murphy, R-N.C. The legislation would require that insurers pay providers at least what ...

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