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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.

Some 2027 ACA Exchange Plans Could Ditch Provider Networks

The regulators who oversee the Affordable Care Act public exchange system are wondering whether to treat “non-network plans” as major medical insurance coverage and let the plans use ACA premium tax credit subsidies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — the arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that oversees HealthCare.gov ...

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GOP Weighs Health Care Cuts To Pay For Iran War

Republicans are considering reductions in federal health spending to help pay for a budget bill containing as much as $200 billion to fund the Iran war and immigration enforcement. Why it matters: New efforts to rein in health programs are sure to be controversial and open the GOP up to election-year attacks that they’re cutting health ...

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HHS Urged to Drop Plan to Shift ACA Mandate Costs to States

Patient advocacy groups are warning the Trump administration that proposed changes to Obamacare’s essential health benefits could undercut patient access to things such as fertility treatments, hearing aids, substance abuse care, and critical disease screenings. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in February proposed significant changes to the Affordable Care Act marketplace, including a measure that ...

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White House Expands TrumpRx With Three New Drugs

The platform offers discounts on more than 50 brand-name prescription drugs, though many of them have cheaper generic equivalents available.

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Rising Health Costs Push Some Middle-Aged Adults To Skip the Doc Until Medicare

John Galvin knows he needs a colonoscopy. But he’s waiting to schedule the procedure until December, when he turns 65 and qualifies for Medicare. He was already thinking about delaying it — then his monthly Obamacare insurance premium payment tripled this year to $2,460, about a third of his income, he said. And with a ...

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Even With Dental Insurance, You Still Could Face a Large Bill

Russell Anthony made eight trips to the dentist last year. The 65-year-old retiree in Nashville, Tennessee, hopes to go less often in 2026, but he’s already made a few visits. “I had a root canal just last week that was like $500,” he said. “The week before that, I had a crown that cost me ...

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As Demand For GLP-1 Pills And Shots Surges, Healthy Habits Are Still Key

Whether they’re using weekly shots or daily pills, more Americans than ever are turning to anti-obesity drugs to lose weight and boost health. About 1 in 8 U.S. adults say they are taking a GLP-1 drug, according to a recent survey by the health research group KFF. Just since January, more than 600,000 prescriptions have been written ...

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Payers, Hospitals Pan CMS’ Plan To Bring Non-Network Plans To ACA Exchanges

Insurers and hospitals have come together to rebuke a Trump administration proposal to roll back limits of plan designs that may be listed on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) exchanges. In February, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) included in its Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027 Proposed Rule a plan ...

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Evidence Shows ACA’s Mandated Benefits Alone Don’t Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues.

In January, when President Donald Trump unveiled his one-page outline to address health care spending, dubbed “The Great Healthcare Plan,” he specifically mentioned the Affordable Care Act’s role in driving up costs. “I call it the unaffordable care act,” he said. He reprised the line in his 2026 State of the Union address, blaming “the crushing cost ...

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Moody’s: Insurers’ 2026 Outlook Is Negative As Cost Pressures Continue To Batter Industry

The health insurance industry’s credit outlook for the year remains negative as medical costs continue to rise, according to a new report from Moody’s Ratings. The Moody’s analysts said that in the current environment, payers will have “limited prospects for profitable growth” this year. Given the margin pressures facing the industry, plan redesigns, benefit cuts ...

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