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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.

Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs To Reach Hospitals Via New Partnership

Hospital access to Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs and other alternative suppliers will be expanded through a new strategic partnership between Bluesight and GraphiteRx. This alliance, which brings marketplace data into CostCheck and ShortageCheck, will help hospitals reduce drug spend and strengthen resilience amid ongoing shortages, according to a Bluesight news release. Through the partnership, ...

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ChatGPT Health ‘Under-Triaged’ Half Of Medical Emergencies In A New Study

Researchers tested different medical scenarios with the chatbot. In more than half of cases in which doctors would send patients to the ER, the chatbot said it was OK to delay care.

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Californians Are Staying Insured — But Settling For Health Coverage They May Not Use

Despite the loss of federal subsidies that lowered costs for millions, California’s private health insurance marketplace held nearly steady this enrollment season. In all, 1.9 million Californians renewed their plan or selected one for the first time — a 2.7% drop compared to last year. A closer look, however, shows that Californians are making concessions ...

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New ACA Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000

The Trump administration is proposing Obamacare plans that it says will lower health insurance premiums. But critics warn they would make care unaffordable.

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Enrollment In HSA, HRA Plans Drop To 15%

Marketers are having a tougher time selling high-definition health plans together with health accounts, and they’re having a tougher time getting workers to focus on the health account offers. The percentage of U.S. adults with a combination of HDHP coverage and a health savings account or health reimbursement arrangement fell to 15% in 2025, according to new survey data ...

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Insurance Groups Say Proposed Flat Medicare Advantage Rates Fail To Meet The Moment

The Trump administration has proposed flat rates in Medicare Advantage (MA) for 2027, and insurers argue in new commentary that those levels do not reflect the realities of the program. In late January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its annual proposed advance notice governing MA and Part D. The proposal includes ...

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Cigna’s Evernorth Quietly Acquires Hospital Pharmacy CarepathRx

Cigna’s Evernorth has acquired CarepathRx just two years after making a significant investment in the company, a spokesperson confirmed to Fierce Healthcare. In June 2023, the company formed a strategic partnership with CarepathRx, a pharmacy that dispenses to hospitals and health systems. Alongside the partnership, which aimed to boost access to specialty care, Evernorth took a ...

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Even Patients Are Shocked by the Prices Their Insurers Will Pay — And It Costs All of Us

Samantha Smith of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, went into the operating room for emergency removal of an ectopic pregnancy. “I’m grateful I didn’t die,” she said, but she was shocked to see that the outpatient surgery was billed to her insurer for about $100,000. Jamie Estrada of Albuquerque, New Mexico, twice received injections of lidocaine in his ...

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Teladoc Health Reports Slower Growth, Offers Cautious 2026 Outlook As It Shifts Telehealth Model

Teladoc Health reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results with both revenue and earnings exceeding analysts’ expectations, driving a 15% jump in the company’s stock Thursday. But the telehealth giant continues to face headwinds as it works to shift from subscription to visit-based revenue models. Teladoc also is transitioning its virtual mental health business, BetterHelp, to accept ...

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Ascendiun CEO Paul Markovich Launches National Policy Reform Movement to Rebuild American Healthcare System That’s “Worthy of Us All”

Ascendiun today announced the national launch of Worthy, a movement to rebuild the U.S. healthcare system so that it is affordable, transparent and truly worthy of every person it serves. The announcement follows a standing-room only launch event held earlier today in New York City, where Ascendiun president and CEO Paul Markovich was joined by ...

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