House negotiators have put two major pharmacy benefit manager provisions in big, “must pass” spending package that’s now speeding toward a vote on the House floor. One provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 package would require PBMs to provide employers and other health plan sponsor fiduciaries with detailed prescription drug benefits tracking reports, to help ...

The CEOs of most of the nation’s largest health insurers plan to lay blame for rising healthcare costs on hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and specialty providers during testimony before Congress on Jan. 22. In written testimonies submitted ahead of back-to-back hearings before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the House Ways and Means Committee, the top executives ...

While the conversation at the House E&C Subcommittee hearing this morning was fairly varied, in the early questioning before the Ways and Means Committee, the debate over the Affordable Care Act has been front and center. Ranking Member Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts, said in his opening remarks that the expiry of the enhanced subsidies in the ...

Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan, bicameral health care deal early Tuesday morning they hope lawmakers will pass later this week as part of a four-bill government spending package. Alongside funding for the departments of Defense, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services and Homeland Security through Sept. 30, senior appropriators are proposing a crackdown on drug intermediates ...

California’s two largest nonprofit health systems are positioning themselves for major expansion and strategic growth this year, with newly appointed leaders focused on mergers, acquisitions and national partnerships. Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente named Jim Marcotte vice president of mergers and acquisitions and partnership development strategy implementation. Mr. Marcotte previously served as executive director of financial planning and analysis ...

California health care advocates, labor unions and progressive lawmakers are urging the governor and the Legislature to find new money to fund medical care and other social services for millions of low-income and disabled Californians. Their coalition, known as “Fight for Our Health,” demanded Wednesday on the Capitol steps that the Legislature and soon-to-be lame ...