What the new health counsels at FTC, DOJ, and HHS might do
Three major government agencies are adding new officials to investigate price-gouging in health care —…
Category: health insurance
STAT+: Biden administration asks judge to toss out Humana’s Medicare Advantage audit lawsuit
The Department of Justice has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by…
STAT+: The biggest health care deals of 2023
Every year, the health care industry behaves more and more like a balloon: Squeeze one…
STAT+: Humana used algorithm in ‘fraudulent scheme’ to deny care to Medicare Advantage patients, lawsuit alleges
Medicare Advantage beneficiaries on Tuesday filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the health insurance giant…
STAT+: UnitedHealth executive to head health insurance group AHIP
WASHINGTON — An executive at insurance giant UnitedHealth Group is slated to be the next…
STAT+: Hot antitrust environment hangs over called-off merger between Cigna and Humana
Less than two weeks after reports surfaced saying Cigna and Humana were considering combining into…
STAT+: Sen. Warren pushes for more data on Medicare Advantage coverage hurdles, denials
A bipartisan group of senators is urging the Biden administration to beef up the amount…
STAT+: Stephen Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group board chair, sells nearly $113 million in stock
Stephen Hemsley, the board chair and former CEO of UnitedHealth Group, has sold nearly $113…
STAT+: CVS’s new drug payment plan won’t lower patients’ prices, experts warn
CVS Health is promising to simplify how its pharmacies get paid for drugs. But that…
STAT+: Cigna, Humana in talks to merge into health insurance giant, per report
Cigna and Humana are in discussions to merge, a potential move that would create a…
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STAT+: Biden defends Trump-era drug pricing rule on copay accumulators
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is appealing a court ruling against a Trump-era regulation that…
STAT+: UnitedHealth Group now employs or is affiliated with 10% of all physicians in the U.S.
UnitedHealth Group has about 90,000 employed or affiliated doctors, approximately 10% of all physicians in…
STAT+: Antitrust lawsuit alleges UnitedHealth’s Optum pressured a California hospital to stop competing over physicians
UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division is already the largest employer of physicians in the United States,…
STAT+: How a major hospital shows just how inflated hospital list prices are
Hospitals’ list prices for surgeries, therapies, and other procedures always come with massive discounts. Financial…
STAT+: UnitedHealth faces class-action lawsuit over algorithmic care denials in Medicare Advantage plans
A class-action lawsuit was filed Tuesday against UnitedHealth Group and a subsidiary alleging that they…
STAT+: UnitedHealth pushed employees to follow an algorithm to cut off Medicare patients’ rehab care
The nation’s largest health insurance company pressured its medical staff to cut off payments for…
Is there a bigger move being planned at Cigna?
You’re reading the web version of Health Care Inc., STAT’s weekly newsletter following the flow of money…
How pharmacy deserts are putting the health of Black and Latino Americans at risk
Pharmacies were once abundant in the South Side of Chicago. Now, residents living in the…
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Apple and Anthem’s experimental asthma app shows promising results but an uncertain future
Apple has for years promised that its devices can help people live healthier, but it…
Latest data shows millions of eligible Americans have been disenrolled from Medicaid
More than 10 million people were disenrolled from Medicaid over the past six months, according…
STAT+: Health plan formularies lowered barriers to fair access to some drugs, analysis finds
Most of the formularies run by some of the largest health plans in the U.S….
STAT+: Biden admin proposes fixes to No Surprises Act’s dispute resolution process
The Biden administration dropped a new proposal Friday designed to fix the controversial dispute resolution…
Fixing America’s health insurance woes is ‘actually very simple,’ says leading economist
Fixing the U.S. health care system can seem like a herculean task. But the solution…
STAT+: UnitedHealth discontinues a controversial brand amid scrutiny of algorithmic care denials
UnitedHealth Group and Optum are getting rid of the name of their tech-driven care management…
STAT+: Actually, hospital price transparency does save money, advocate highlights
BOSTON — For all those who think hospital price transparency will not save money, Cynthia…
STAT+: Senate Finance targets Medicare Advantage brokers
Senate Finance Committee members from both parties took aim today at insurance brokers that sell…
STAT+: In an unusual arrangement, UnitedHealth’s board chair also owns a personal investment firm
Stephen Hemsley, the former CEO of UnitedHealth Group and its current board chair, also owns…
STAT+: What to know about this year’s Medicare open enrollment period
It’s the middle of October — the time of year that’s filled with pumpkin spice…
STAT+: Eye docs urge Medicare to lower insurance hurdles amid shortage of repackaged Avastin
Due to a shortage of a widely used compounded medicine for serious eye diseases, two…
STAT+: UnitedHealth’s profit jumps as medical costs come in lower than expected
UnitedHealth Group has made it clear that more people, especially older adults, are seeing their…
What’s next in the Kaiser Permanente strike
You’re reading the web edition of Health Care Inc., STAT’s weekly newsletter following the flow…
STAT+: Dana-Farber CEO on Mass General split: Boston needed a dedicated cancer hospital
One of the first items on Laurie Glimcher’s agenda after becoming CEO of the renowned…
STAT+: Key Senate panel eyes action on drug shortages
WASHINGTON — One of the top health care committees in the Senate is assembling ideas…
The stability of $0 premiums in Medicare Advantage
You’re reading the web edition of Health Care Inc., STAT’s weekly newsletter following the flow…
STAT+: More hospital and outpatient visits expected to persist through fall and winter
Health care providers and health insurance companies are closing the books on their third quarters,…
STAT+: New lawsuit highlights another wrinkle for settling disputes over surprise medical bills
After Congress officially outlawed surprise medical bills last year, there’s been endless, litigious debate as…
STAT+: Cigna to pay $172 million in Medicare Advantage fraud settlement
Health insurer Cigna is paying more than $172 million to settle allegations that it committed…
Women spend 20% more per year on out-of-pocket health costs, says report
Women of all ages pay a total of $15.4 billion more than men on annual…
STAT+: Drug industry payments to eye docs boosted Medicare spending on pricier treatments
Ophthalmologists who accepted payments from drug companies were less likely to prescribe a cheaper medicine…
Republicans aren’t quite done talking about Obamacare, after all
WASHINGTON — In a far-ranging debate that touched on everything from border control issues to…
STAT+: Senate committee chair tries to spark negotiations to keep Medicare solvent
WASHINGTON — The Senate Budget Committee started what could become a bipartisan effort to extend…
STAT+: Medicare Advantage plans for dual-eligible enrollees set to get Senate scrutiny
The Senate has set its eyes on regulating insurance plans for some of the most…
Opinion: How medical schools are failing students who need mental health care
Medical students experience significant mental distress, including high rates of anxiety, alcohol use, depression and…
As Biden plans to ban medical debt from credit scores, advocates press for more change
The dramatic impact of medical debt on credit scores may soon be a thing of…
STAT+: Patients, doctors press FTC to beef up hospital merger scrutiny
Comments to antitrust regulators lay bare Americans’ anger and disillusionment over consolidation’s effects on all…
STAT+: Medicare wants to increase payments for heart rehab. Hospitals see an opening to get more
Medicare plans to pay more for a type of cardiac rehabilitation that takes place in…
STAT+: Walmart may buy concierge Medicare Advantage provider ChenMed. But will it scale?
Walmart seems poised to increase its health care footprint by buying value-based senior care company…
A new House health package & hospitals’ new site-neutral talking points
You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis. Sign up here to receive this newsletter in your…
Ketamine can be transformative for people with suicidal thoughts — if they can access it
Every day, Marisa Russello was overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts. Even one negative thought might cause…
STAT+: Covid hospitalizations on the rise, Humana says
More older adults have been hospitalized for Covid-19 over the past several weeks, according to…