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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.

Local Governments Vie for Fired Federal Workers

State, county and city governments are eager to hire former federal agency staffers targeted in DOGE cuts. But matching worker skills to local needs is a challenge.

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RFK Jr.’s Emerging Vision For HHS: More Centralized Power

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says sweeping layoffs and restructuring in the department will bring order to a bureaucracy he claims is in “pandemonium.” But experts say the overhaul also likely gives him far greater control over dozens of federal health agencies. Why it matters: HHS has long functioned like a decentralized ...

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Obamacare Enrollees Could See Big Changes in 2026

A shorter open enrollment period, less help choosing a plan, higher health insurance premiums for many people — those are just a few changes now brewing that could affect your health insurance for 2026 if you have coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

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For Fourth Consecutive Time, The Word & Brown Companies Achieve HITRUST r2 Certification Demonstrating the Highest Level of Information Protection...

The Word & Brown Companies today announced that several systems in use by Word & Brown® General Agency and CHOICE Administrators® have earned Certified status by HITRUST for information security. HITRUST r2 Certification demonstrates that The Word & Brown Companies’ systems have met demanding regulatory compliance and industry-defined requirements and are appropriately managing risk. By including federal and ...

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Fifteen Years Later, The ACA Has An HSA Problem — But It’s Easily Fixable

President Obama’s signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has now been shaping the private health insurance market for over a decade. The law survived several repeal efforts by Republicans. And then-President Biden twice delivered temporary expansions of subsidies offered under the law for the purchase of insurance. Despite its political staying power, ...

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Costco Now Offers Ozempic, Wegovy Through New Weight Loss Program

The membership club retail chain has expanded its partnership with telehealth company Sesame to launch a weight loss program that costs $175 for three months, which does not include the cost of the weight loss drugs.

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Here’s How To Delete Your Personal Data And Genetic Sample From 23andMe

23andMe customers who once turned over the most personal form of information to the company — their own genetic data — may want it back after the personal genomics and biotech startup declared bankruptcy on Sunday. The 19-year-old company is seeking a buyer, which means that if it is not deleted, customer data could be transferred ...

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IRA Round 2 Begins As Drugmakers Sign On To Price Negotiation Process With CMS

Spring has sprung, and round two of the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA's) negotiation period has begun. Each of the drugmakers that make the fifteen medicines selected for 2027 price cuts have officially signed on to the process, giving the go-ahead for the price talks to begin.

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Cigna Closes $3.3B Sale Of Medicare Plans To HCSC

Cigna has officially sealed the deal on the $3.3 billion sale of its Medicare business to Health Care Service Corporation. HCSC acquired Cigna’s Medicare Advantage, Part D, supplemental benefits and CareAllies units as part of the deal. While it will no longer operate the Medicare unit directly, Cigna said it will continue to provide pharmacy ...

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Actual Small-Group Health Premiums Rise 6.1%

Small-group health insurance premiums are still going up at about the same rate as before, and the enrollee count continues to fall. The average monthly premium increased 6.1% in 2024, to $659. The rate of increase was down, slightly, from 6.2% in 2023.

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