Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price on Tuesday said that the repeal of ObamaCare’s individual mandate would drive up costs, a remark seized on by Democrats.

A new direct provider contracting model under consideration at the CMS could potentially save providers billions in administrative costs, but could also threaten access to care for Medicare's frailest and lowest-income beneficiaries.

The nation's second-largest health insurer joined rival UnitedHealth Group Inc. in topping analyst expectations for the quarter and hiking its 2018 forecast. Anthem said Wednesday that it now expects 2018 adjusted earnings to be greater than $15.30 per share after saying in January that they would exceed $15 per share.

A California Democrat has introduced a proposal for Obamacare that Senate Republicans backed during their repeal and replace efforts last year. The legislation from Rep. Ami Bera would allow states to set up programs that automatically enroll people in Obamacare plans or in Medicaid, depending on which programs they qualify for. People would have 60 days to opt out of the health insurance.

The percentage of employers offering telemedicine shot up 24% in the last year, from 49% in 2016 to 73% in 2017, while the number of firms offering employees access to a 24-hour nurse line increased 10%, from 69% to 79%, according to the report, which surveyed more than 850 WorldatWork members.

Changes to insurance regulations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were supposed to drive young, healthy men with higher incomes from the insurance market. But according to a study published earlier this month, that didn’t happen. In fact, uninsured rates dropped significantly among young, healthy men during the first few years of ACA implementation