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.
The Retirement Security Rule, finalized on April 23, is polarizing and is sure to face significant legal challenges (one lawsuit has already been filed), because the rule applies a new, heightened fiduciary duty to the insurance industry.
The Reducing Drug Prices for Seniors Act would require prescription drug coinsurance payments for seniors on Medicare to be determined based on the lower net price of the medication, rather than its higher list price, according to Rosen’s office.
According to the DOL, the new fiduciary rule levels the playing field for insurance agents, brokers, financial planners and registered investment advisors to adhere to a best interest standard when providing investment advice.
Walmart (WMT.N), said on Tuesday it will close all 51 of its health clinics and shut its virtual health care operations, saying it could not see it as a sustainable business model to continue.
As concerns continue to be raised about consumer barriers to care resulting from prior authorization requirements, the federal government issued a final regulation aimed at streamlining and automating the prior authorization process and improving transparency for certain payers.
President Joe Biden counts among his accomplishments the record-high number of people, more than 21 million, who enrolled in Obamacare plans this year. Behind the scenes, however, federal regulators are contending with a problem that affects people’s coverage: rogue brokers who have signed people up for Affordable Care Act plans, or switched them into new ...
Price transparency and the No Surprises Act are still in their infancy, but providers and health plans would be smart to comply now to avoid facing unnecessary penalties, warned President Trump’s former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a recent virtual summit. The former policymaker said the wheels set in motion during his ...
Healthcare and drug industry groups on Wednesday urged a U.S. appeals court to revive their challenge to a law requiring manufacturers to negotiate the prices of some drugs with the U.S government’s Medicare health insurance program or pay heavy penalties. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the Global Colon Cancer Association and the National ...
Rite Aid Corp. is working to complete a deal with lenders to exit bankruptcy. But even with a rescue deal in hand, the ailing pharmacy chain is poised to to be significantly smaller. Since filing Chapter 11 in October, Rite Aid has said it will close more than 520 locations, according to a Bloomberg News ...
The go-broke dates for Medicare and Social Security have been pushed back as an improving economy has contributed to changed projected depletion dates, according to the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report Monday. Still, officials warn that policy changes are needed lest the programs become unable to pay full benefits to retiring Americans. Medicare’s go-broke date ...