While data released earlier this week raised questions about the administrative costs associated with No Surprises Act (NSA) arbitrations, a second study suggests the legislation is working to reduce out-of-pocket costs for members. Researchers at Harvard University and Mass General Brigham examined a sample of 17,351 privately insured adults, 8,204 of which lived in states that gained ...

President appears divided between RFK Jr. and detractors, despite clear evidence favoring vaccines

The White House quickly named a new leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed out Director Susan Monarez this week. Jim O’Neill, a senior Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) official with deep ties to President Trump donor Peter Thiel, will take over the agency amid ...

Prior authorization is similar to how private insurers operate, often resulting in a delay or denial of treatments

GLP-1 agonists — including semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy and tirzepatides like Mounjaro and Zepbound — were originally intended to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. But in recent months, studies have shown that these popular medications can have numerous other health benefits. Some have even claimed that GLP-1s could eventually become the new “everything drug.” Dr. ...

Accountable care organizations saved Medicare $2.4 billion last year, according to new federal data. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released (PDF) the latest results from the Medicare Shared Savings Program, which shows that 75% of the 476 participating ACOs earned $4.1 billion in performance payments. These organizations represent 80% of the 10.3 million beneficiaries assigned ...