Prior authorization has been a continual source of frustration for providers, and Wednesday UnitedHealthcare, the country’s largest insurer, said it will offer some relief. The payer giant will cut nearly 20% of its current prior authorizations, according to a new release, in a bid to simplify the process for both providers and its members. UnitedHealth will ...

The U.S. Social Security system’s main trust fund’s reserves will be depleted in 2033, one year earlier than estimated last year, while Medicare’s finances have improved slightly, reports from the programs’ trustees showed on Friday. The Medicare Hospital Trust Fund reserves are now expected to be depleted in 2031 compared to an estimate of 2028 ...

Should Los Angeles clamp down on how much hospital executives are paid? That decision could be put to Los Angeles city voters, under a ballot measure supported by a union representing healthcare workers. But whether that happens may hinge on another question: How much does the president of the United States make? The California Hospital Assn. has ...

People at risk of heart disease could extend their lives by going Mediterranean or low-fat, according to a new analysis of popular diets. In the world of nutrition and disease, dietary fat is an often confusing subject. And in general, experts say, recent years have seen a move away from prescribing a strict amount of ...

A federal judge in Texas who previously ruled to dismantle the Affordable Care Act struck down a narrower but key part of the nation's health law Thursday in a decision that opponents say could jeopardize preventive screenings for millions of Americans.

When President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union address to Congress in February, he drew a clear distinction on entitlement spending – his administration had pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare, while congressional Republicans were trying to cut them.