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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.

AHIP Says Member Plans Will Continue To Cover Vaccines With No Cost-Sharing Through 2026

A major health insurance group reaffirmed that its member plans will uphold current vaccine coverage despite any changes that an influential advisory panel could make to federal recommendations. The pledge to continued vaccine coverage comes ahead of a scheduled meeting Thursday of a federal advisory committee with a slate of new members handpicked by Department of Health ...

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Democrats Are Barreling Toward A Shutdown With No Clear Plan To Get Out

Democrats are gearing up to reject a GOP stopgap funding bill and potentially spark a government shutdown. What happens then, no one seems to know. Two weeks ahead of the key deadline, party leaders are staking out a rhetorical hard line demanding that their Republican counterparts come to the negotiating table to discuss concessions on health care ...

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Primary Care Shortages Worsen As U.S. Spending On It Drops

Primary care has been shown to improve health outcomes and population health; reduce health disparities; and save money. Despite these benefits, however, accessing primary care has become more difficult. “In 2025, there were 7,901 primary care health professional shortage areas,” according to a new report from the Health Care Cost Institute. “A recent report found ...

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Employer Health Costs To Top $17,000 Per Employee In 2026

Employers can expect to pay an average of $17,000 per employee for health care costs next year. Aon, a global professional services firm, projects a 9.5% increase in 2026, marking the third consecutive year with price hikes approaching double digits.

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Shutdown Talk Heats Up As Democrats Insist On Stopping Health Care Cuts

A deadline looming, Congress charged Monday toward a federal government shutdown as Republicans brush back Democratic demands to save health care funding from cutbacks, while Democrats are flexing a newfound willingness to play hardball, even if it means closing offices and services.

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Senate Republicans Ready Obamacare Rescue

A group of GOP senators are working on legislation to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies with policy changes designed to win over conservatives, according to four people granted anonymity to disclose private discussions.

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Trump’s Effort To Target Television Drug Ads Could Have Massive Implications

An effort by President Trump’s administration to curb advertising for pharmaceutical drugs on television is posing a potential marketing hurdle for some of the country’s largest drugmakers while threatening a key revenue stream for media companies.

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Kaiser Permanente, Renown Health Unveil Insurance, Outpatient Joint Venture

Integrated nonprofit health systems Kaiser Permanente and Renown Health have announced a joint venture giving the former an entry into northern Nevada. The deal, announced Wednesday, is still pending regulatory approval but is expected to close in early 2026. With it, the partners would own and operate a health plan and new outpatient care network ...

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Major Payers Set To Grow Market Share Over Next Decade. But Headwinds Await, Too

A new analysis from Morningstar estimates that the major national firms will continue to grow their share of the market over the next decade. The study projects that the six largest carriers—Aetna, Centene, Cigna, Elevance Health, Humana and UnitedHealthcare—will insure 56% of Americans by 2034, increasing from 41% in 2014. As of 2024, these six ...

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Here’s How National Vaccine Chaos Could Put California Health At Risk

The chaotic national dialogue around immunizations could cause widespread and lasting damage to public health, even in places like the Bay Area where vaccine support remains robust, say experts in infectious diseases. As national leaders, including the United States’ own health secretary, argue about and frequently dismiss the value of vaccines across all ages, public ...

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