Resistance To A Boston Hospital’s Expansion Centers On Rising Prices
A political battle in Massachusetts looks at the role hospital expansions play in driving up health care costs.
Harris Meyer
Though Millions Are At Risk For Diabetes, Medicare Struggles To Expand Prevention Program
Only 3,600 of an estimated 16 million Medicare beneficiaries eligible for a two-year diabetes prevention program have actually signed up since Medicare started covering the program in 2018.
Federal Ruling May Upend Gag Policy Affecting Health Care Workers
A federal appellate court ruled that the firing of a hospital employee violated the law, which could lead to a revision of policies barring workers from speaking publicly.
As Drug Prices Keep Rising, State Lawmakers Propose Tough New Bills to Curb Them
The measures would impose taxes on increases in the price of drugs that don’t reflect improved clinical value and set the rates paid by state-run and commercial health plans to a benchmark based on prices in Canada.
Seniors Face Crushing Drug Costs as Congress Stalls on Capping Medicare Out-Of-Pockets
Many Americans face high out-of-pocket costs for life-saving drugs but those on Medicare are often worse off: There's no cap on coinsurance costs once they hit $6,550 in drug spending.
Surprise Federal Drug Rule Directs Insurers to Reveal What They Pay for Prescription Drugs
Health insurance companies will have to give their customers estimated out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and disclose to the public the negotiated prices they pay for drugs.
A $200 Debit Card Won’t Do Much for Seniors’ Drug Costs
If they’ve been listening to President Donald Trump, seniors may be expecting a $200 debit card in the mail any day now to help them pay for prescription drugs.
Hospital Merger in Washington State Stokes Fears About Catholic Limits on Care
It's unclear whether Virginia Mason Health System would have to abide by Catholic doctrine in merging with CHI Franciscan, a Roman Catholic health system.
Group Health Teams With Hospital System In Pacific Northwest
Republished with permission from Kaiser Health News
Insurance Spat Leads to Less Rx Coverage for Some
The health reform act will require coverage of all drugs beginning in 2014, but Washington's insurance commissioner and the state's largest insurance companies are facing off over a move to eliminate drug coverage entirely under one plan.
July 3, 2012 A fight between the Washington state insurance commissioner and the state’s largest seller of individual health insurance is spotlighting problems in that increasingly troubled market. The spat arose over insurers’ efforts to curb soaring premiums by restricting or eliminating prescription drug benefits.
Experts say they haven’t yet seen similar moves by insurers in other states to axe drug coverage from policies sold in the individual market. But some predict expensive drug benefits will offer an inviting target.
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