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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.

Anthem To Penalize California Hospitals For Out-Of-Network Doctors

Managers of Anthem Blue Cross think that in-network hospitals in California should use in-network physicians to treat health plan participants. The Elevance Health subsidiary announced earlier this week that it will impose a 10% payment penalty on some in-network hospitals and other health care facilities that bill patients for care provided by out-of-network doctors. “Participating facilities ...

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Dr. Oz Says Obamacare Enrollment May Be ‘Too High’

Even as the top official for Medicaid and Medicare claims millions may be falsely enrolled, the Trump administration is urging younger people to sign up for high-deductible ACA plans.

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Weight-Loss Jab Could Be Made For $3 A Month, Study Finds

Cheap semaglutide, the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy, could help millions with diabetes and obesity in 160 countries

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Universal Health Services To Acquire Talkspace In $835M Deal To Build Out Virtual Behavioral Health

For-profit acute and behavioral hospital operator Universal Health Services is acquiring virtual behavioral care provider Talkspace, the companies announced on Monday. The definitive agreement would see Talkspace acquired for $5.25 per share. That translates to an enterprise value of about $835 million, according to the announcement. The deal is expected to close in Q3. UHS ...

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GoodRx Launches Employer Program to Help Subsidize High-Cost Brand Drugs

GoodRx launched GoodRx Employer Direct, a program that allows employers to subsidize manufacturer-sponsored prices for high-cost brand medications like GLP-1s without adding them to their health insurance benefits.

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Eli Lilly Launches Its Direct-To-Employer Platform For Obesity Drugs

Eli Lilly has officially launched Employer Connect, its direct-to-employer platform for its obesity medications, after teasing the rollout late last year. The drugmaker said in an announcement that the program is aimed at supporting employer choice and enabling them to build the solution that works best for them and their workforces. It will launch with more ...

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TrumpRx Launch Falls Short of Expectations Despite Initial Hype

President Trump’s drug discount initiative, TrumpRx, launched with high expectations, but the reality has not met the initial hype. Nearly a month after debuting, the platform offers limited availability of prescription drugs and lacks key usage data. Despite claims of lowest prices, many medications have more affordable generic options. TrumpRx Launch Overview TrumpRx was introduced ...

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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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