Report: U.S. Health Insurers Expected to Remain Resilient Amid Challenges in 2024

Medical Professional Liability insurance

Capitalization levels for U.S. health insurers will continue to grow this year, but earnings are expected to narrow as profitability from government programs such as Medicaid managed care and Medicare Advantage return to more normal levels, according to a new AM Best report.

CMS Increasing Scrutiny of Nation’s Poorest-Performing Nursing Homes

Nursing Home

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is increasing scrutiny and oversight of the country’s worst-performing nursing facilities in an effort to improve the care they provide as soon as possible. CMS will toughen requirements for program completion and increase enforcement actions against facilities that fail to demonstrate improvement in a series of revisions… Continue reading CMS Increasing Scrutiny of Nation’s Poorest-Performing Nursing Homes

Big Pharma Looks to Ease Impact of Inflation Reduction Act

Big Pharma

Drugmakers are attempting to limit Medicare’s newfound ability to negotiate drug prices while also dealing with internal industry disputes and dwindling influence in Washington, D.C. Congress granted Medicare, the country’s largest buyer of prescription drugs, the authority to negotiate how much it pays for certain high-priced therapies and to receive rebates on treatments whose prices… Continue reading Big Pharma Looks to Ease Impact of Inflation Reduction Act

Most of $9.2 Billion in Questionable Medicare Payments Went to 20 Insurers, Investigators Say

Medicare penalties

Medicare insurers drew $9.2 billion in federal payments in one year through controversial billing practices, with 20 companies benefiting disproportionately and together accounting for more than half of the total, according to federal health investigators. The findings by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services are the latest sign… Continue reading Most of $9.2 Billion in Questionable Medicare Payments Went to 20 Insurers, Investigators Say

COVID Spurs Families to Shun Nursing Homes, Increasingly Choosing Home Care

Nursing Home

The pandemic is reshaping the way Americans care for their elderly, prompting family decisions to avoid nursing homes and keep loved ones in their own homes for rehabilitation and other care. Americans have long relied on institutions to care for the frailest seniors. The U.S. has the largest number of nursing-home residents in the world.… Continue reading COVID Spurs Families to Shun Nursing Homes, Increasingly Choosing Home Care

For Many Pandemic Victims, Lingering Effects Stress Insurance Coverage

An infected patient in quarantine lying in bed in hospital, coronavirus concept.

The new coronavirus that infected Tricia Sales in March still plagues her. The horse trainer and onetime cocktail server deals with dizziness and nausea. At times, she can’t feel her hands and feet. Her five-month struggle has meant specialists, drugs, a spinal tap, imaging scans and 15 hospital visits. The uninsured single mother said she… Continue reading For Many Pandemic Victims, Lingering Effects Stress Insurance Coverage

Up to 43 Million Could Lose Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

Blue stethoscope isolate on white background

As unemployment soars, an estimated 25 million to 43 million people will lose their employer-sponsored health insurance coverage in the coming months, according to a new study. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 160 million people nationwide under the age of 65 got their health insurance through their jobs. Between March 15 and April 25, 30… Continue reading Up to 43 Million Could Lose Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

UnitedHealth CEO Says ‘Medicare for All’ Would ‘Destabilize the Nation’s Health System’

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UnitedHealth Group CEO David Wichmann warned investors on Tuesday that “Medicare for All” proposals pushed by Democratic lawmakers and presidential candidates would “destabilize the nation’s health system.” A number of Democratic proposals call for eliminating private health insurance and replacing it with a universal Medicare plan, claiming it would help reduce administrative inefficiencies in the… Continue reading UnitedHealth CEO Says ‘Medicare for All’ Would ‘Destabilize the Nation’s Health System’