Source: California Healthline When Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) is sworn in as assembly speaker Monday, it will mark a historic moment in California politics: For the first time, the two top posts in the state legislature will be held by Latinos. Rendon will join Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) at the top […]
Read moreSource: The New York Times President Obama said on Thursday that enrollment in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act had reached a new high, 20 million, and he called the law an overwhelming success in this city and around the nation despite Republicans’ implacable opposition. “Congressional Republicans have tried and failed to repeal Obamacare […]
Read moreSource: Medium There has been a new interest in expanding the transparency of pharmaceutical markets, in many areas, including information about the outlays on R&D for the development of specific drugs. The debate over transparency legislation, still pending but stalled in California (AB 463), raised public attention to this issue worldwide and has stimulated additional […]
Read moreSource: California Healthline Health care access, quality and affordability will be among the top concerns for the state’s Department of Managed Health Care as it vets the proposed $54 billion merger of insurance giant Anthem Inc. and rival Cigna Corp., the department’s director, Shelley Rouillard, said during a public hearing in Sacramento Friday. Those questions, […]
Read moreSource: California Healthline Retail clinics, long seen as an antidote to more expensive doctor offices and emergency rooms, may actually boost medical spending by leading consumers to get more care, a new study shows. Rather than substituting for a physician office visit or trip to the hospital, 58 percent of retail clinic visits for minor […]
Read moreSource: Modern Healthcare Two of California’s largest insurers are trying to build one of the country’s most comprehensive health information exchanges, but they’re facing reluctance from providers who are hesitant to share their data. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California—the second- and third-largest insurers in the state, respectively, after Kaiser Permanente — teamed […]
Read moreSource: The New York Times The Obama administration, responding to consumer complaints, says it will begin rating health insurance plans based on how many doctors and hospitals they include in their networks. At the same time, the maximum out-of-pocket costs for consumers under the Affordable Care Act will increase next year to $7,150 for an […]
Read moreSource: Houston Chronicle Under the Affordable Care Act, if you don’t buy health insurance, you automatically face a hefty penalty, right? Not necessarily. In fact, nearly three of four of the uninsured who have already filed their 2015 tax returns using a popular tax preparation software were able to claim an exemption to shield them […]
Read moreSource: Associated Press Political uncertainty isn’t the only threat to the Affordable Care Act’s future. Cracks also are spreading through a major pillar supporting the law. Health insurance exchanges created to help millions of people find coverage are turning into money-losing ventures for many insurers. The nation’s largest, UnitedHealth Group Inc., could lose as much […]
Read moreSource: Associated Press The average cost for a year’s supply of a prescription drug doubled in just seven years to more than $11,000 — about three-quarters of the average annual Social Security benefit. That’s according to the latest study of price trends for widely-used drugs conducted by AARP, the senior citizens advocacy group. It finds […]
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