Susan Ladika

Most of the attention has been on Medicaid cuts, but the reconciliation bill and CMS rule changes will also slash enrollment in the health plans sold on the Affordable Care Act exchanges.

Proponents say direct-to-consumer sales by drugmakers cut out intermediaries that add needlessly to prices. Detractors see ethical issues and prices that are still too high for many patients.

Republicans are aiming for major reductions in federal spending, and Medicaid seems a likely target. But the politics of Medicaid are tricky as the program has expanded and covered more people.

In the aftermath of the fires in California and the hurricanes in the Southeast, health insurers relaxed some deadlines for members and helped affected employees.

Payers and providers are figuring out ways to overcome the transportation barriers that get in the way of people receiving healthcare.

Neither party wants to be perceived as threatening the overall Medicare program. The Biden administration did take steps to reduce payment to Medicare Advantage plans. Insurance companies objected, but some industry observers said it was an overdue correction.

The retail giant shuttered its primary healthcare clinics, and CVS and Walgreens are cutting back. Is retail healthcare doomed for failure?

Telehealth companies, Costco, other companies — they are all looking to take advantage of the soaring demand for the weight loss drugs.

Enrollment has soared, but a relatively modest 2025 rate increase and changes to the Star rating system may lead plans to cut back on with their benefit offerings.

New federal rules set time requirements for some insurers.

Canadian health officials warn that maintaining a drug supply for Canadians is their priority. The staunch opposition of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry may also be an obstacle to imports from north of the border.

Payers and hospitals are at odds over proposals that would level out payments to hospital outpatient departments and physician offices.

As the Federal Trade Commission weighs a ban, hospitals and some physician organizations are on opposite sides of the issue.

Medicaid managed care plans will be affected as states shed enrollees because of the end of the continuous enrollment provisions of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The company paved the way for prescription digital therapeutics.

The COVID-19 pandemic normalized telehealth. Now an increasing number of insurers are offering virtual-first plans that make virtual care the default choice.

Aetna, Signify Health and now Oak Street Health. Some see advantages to CVS acquiring a primary care provider — for U.S. healthcare as well as CVS. Others see risks of even more consolidation in the healthcare sector and perhaps a financial hit to CVS because of Oak Street’s net losses.

As ideas about what constitutes healthcare have expanded, so has the involvement of newcomers such as Best Buy.

After some go-go years, Bright Health, Oscar and Clover Health are leaving some markets.

Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs business has entered into agreements with Capital Blue Cross and Rightway.

‘We’ve been successful, and we’d like to share our success,’ says the chief medical officer of the healthcare system’s employee health plan.

Two reports show that drug-related deaths are skyrocketing among people 65 years and older.

Two reports show that drug-related deaths are skyrocketing among people 65 years and older.

Some are offering travel benefits.

Private equity firms have pulled back some this year, but money has been pouring into the healthcare sector. Will the cash infusion make healthcare more efficient or drive up costs as investors seek returns?

The companies issued statements referencing out-of-state abortions and travel benefits. Both are in headquartered in states with strong abortion rights laws.

Demand for birth control obtained through telehealth or without a prescription continues to grow, and some states have loosened up their rules. Meanwhile, groups and organizations involved in contraception are bracing themselves for the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court decision today overturned Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion.

Florida Blue and Blue Shield of California are among the insurers curating and offering free access to wellness apps for their members.