A growing number of states are implementing healthcare cost controls to curb excess spending among providers and payers. Several states have established programs for annual cost growth benchmarks, setting spending limits based on economic measures such as gross state product, wage growth or median household income. However, some regulators are taking this tactic a step ...

Next year is shaping up to be tumultuous for Medicare Advantage as insurers continue to shore up their profits. Why it matters: Benefit cuts and insurer exits from certain markets mean more upheaval for seniors — and right before the midterm elections. Driving the news: Based on insurance broker commentary, “it appears 2027 sets up ...

Nearly 25,000 Californians could see their medication switched next year. Doctors can object, but insurers would gain new power over prescriptions.

UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health are exploring the possibility of adding to their vast enterprises, executives said at the Wells Fargo Annual Healthcare Conference Wednesday. Both conglomerates see acquisitions as part of their future as they rebound after a tough few years, company leaders said. UnitedHealth Group expects to deploy stock buybacks more aggressively and ...

One potential solution for soaring health care expenses may not be limiting access or reducing the cost of care but avoiding the need for expensive treatments through prevention. Much of what the nation currently spends on health care is devoted to managing diseases that often could have been delayed, minimized or even avoided altogether. “The ...

The White House announced Thursday that it plans to issue $500 refunds to close to a million people enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans. The administration said in a fact sheet that the refunds come from “overcharges” collected in the Biden administration through user fees intended to fund the operation of the federal insurance exchange, ...