Lots of research suggests such medications must be used indefinitely to maintain weight loss and related health benefits. But with list prices of roughly $1,000 a month, public and private payers are struggling to keep up with ballooning demand for GLP-1 weight loss drugs and in some cases are eliminating or restricting their coverage as a result.

Accurate trend projections are critical for effective renewal planning and budget forecasting, and according to HUB International’s 2026 Trend study, health care costs will only continue to rise throughout 2026. Key regional observations for 2025 reveal that the east region consistently shows the highest medical trends across all plan types, with Med/Rx combined at 10.04%, ...

The average rate increase is expected to be higher in Riverside and San Bernardino counties compared to most of the state.

The Paragon Health Institute has published a series of new reports once again alleging large-scale “fraud” in health care. This time their target is enrollment in the Insurance Marketplace. They then use these allegations as rationale for a set of policy recommendations, including allowing the enhanced premium tax credits to expire at the end of ...

Under the new budget signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Medi-Cal — the state’s Medicaid program — would no longer cover weight loss drugs, such as Wegovy and Zepbound, unless they’re prescribed to treat diabetes. The measure is intended to promote fiscal responsibility.

For employers, covering COVID-19 shots and other vaccinations is now a lot more complicated. Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took vaccinations off the auto-pilot list Wednesday, by withdrawing emergency use rules for COVID vaccinations like Novavax’s Nuvaxovid vaccine and tightening access rules for other COVID vaccinations. A team at the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative says wastewater ...