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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.

Biden Administration To Impose Inflation Penalties On Dozens Of Drugs

The Biden administration said on Thursday it had identified 48 drugs in the Medicare program whose prices rose quicker than inflation during the fourth quarter of the year and may require their makers to pay rebates.

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Americans Less Satisfied With Almost Every Part Of The Health System

Americans' satisfaction with almost every major part of the health care system has dropped since 2010, according to a new Gallup analysis.

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CMS Finalizes Updated Fees For No Surprises Act Dispute Resolution

The Biden administration on Monday released amended fees related to independent dispute resolution under the No Surprises Act. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had established initial fees, but the guidance was vacated by a Texas judge in a win for providers, forcing the agency to pause IDR. The independent dispute resolution approach is ...

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HCSC, Elevance Health Explore Purchase Of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage Business

While its merger with Humana may have fallen through for now, Cigna is attracting plenty of interest for the rumored sale of its Medicare Advantage business, Bloomberg reported. Sources close to the matter told the outlet that Health Care Service Corp. and Elevance Health are “competing” to scoop up the MA segment. Cigna is expecting ...

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AMA: 73% Of Insurer Markets Were Highly Concentrated Last Year

Most insurer markets are highly concentrated, including many regions where a single payer dominates at least half of the market share, according to a new analysis from the American Medical Association. The AMA released an updated look at concentration in payer markets and found that across product lines, 73% of metropolitan statistical areas were highly concentrated in ...

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U.S. Healthcare Spending Rises To $4.5 Trillion In 2022

Healthcare spending in the United States rose 4.1% in 2022 to $4.5 trillion, federal data showed on Wednesday, a rate that officials said indicated a return to pre-pandemic patterns after two years of volatility. The growth was driven by spending on Medicaid and private health insurance, with the insured share of the population surging to ...

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Biden Wants States to Ensure Obamacare Plans Cover Enough Doctors and Hospitals

The Biden administration plans to push states to boost oversight of the number of doctors, hospitals, and other health providers insurers cover in Obamacare plans, under rules proposed in November. The annual regulatory proposal, known as the payment parameters rule, also seeks to expand access to adult dental coverage in Affordable Care Act marketplaces and ...

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SmileDirectClub’s Sudden Collapse Leaves Teeth Alignment Patients Stranded

The sudden collapse of SmileDirectClub has stranded users of its clear-plastic, removable teeth aligners — in some cases just weeks after they were given a discount for paying up front. Why it matters: Customers experiencing problems with their treatment will not be able to get new aligners, treatment, or other support from the company. Catch up fast: SDC filed for ...

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Biden’s Pharma Fix: New ‘March-In’ Rule Allows HHS To Seize Patents Of Pricey Drugs

Pres. Biden’s administration on Thursday unveiled a new framework allowing authorities the right to seize certain drug patents and license them to other manufacturers in order to lower drug prices.

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Targeting Costly Meds, Biden Admin Asserts Authority To Seize Certain Drug Patents

The Biden administration has determined that it has the authority to seize the patents of certain high-priced medicines, a move that could open the door to a more aggressive federal campaign to slash drug prices. The determination, which was described by three people familiar with the matter, represents the culmination of a nearly nine-month review of ...

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