STAT+: Obamacare plans don’t have to cover weight loss drugs. The government is considering changing that
WASHINGTON — Drugmakers are doing everything to tap the bottomless well of demand for new…
Category: insurance
STAT+: Banning surprise medical bills is raising costs elsewhere
Without question, the new federal law banning surprise billing is achieving its goal of protecting…
STAT+: Medicare Advantage enrollment races past 33 million
Roughly 33.4 million adults older than 65 and people with disabilities were enrolled in a…
STAT+: Louisiana, Oregon deals show health insurer acquisitions aren’t a sure thing anymore
A deal is never really done until it’s done. On Tuesday, two different proposed insurance…
STAT+: Private equity investment in Medicare Advantage drops
Major insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare and Humana have edged out private equity firms from investing…
No one’s pleased with the government’s pitch for 2025 Medicare Advantage rates
You’re reading the web version of Health Care Inc., STAT’s weekly newsletter following the flow of money…
STAT+: Lasers, cardiology, clinical trials: 2023’s top private equity targets
By some measures, private equity investment lagged in 2023, a year marked by growing distress…
STAT+: Senate Democrats push for stronger rules around AI in Medicare Advantage
Senate Democrats on Thursday said Medicare should take more urgent and aggressive action to prevent…
STAT+: Government warns Medicare Advantage insurers not to deny care based on AI
In recent months, the federal government has repeatedly told Medicare Advantage insurers that they cannot…
STAT+: A sweeping new lawsuit asks: Are employers liable if they overpay for drugs?
Johnson & Johnson faces a consequential new class action lawsuit — not in its role…
STAT+: Cano Health’s downfall offers a warning for Medicare Advantage
Private Medicare just isn’t the gold mine it once was. Case in point: Cano Health,…
STAT+: New Medicare Advantage rule is boon for providers, drag on insurers
Starting this year, private Medicare plans have to cover their members’ hospitalizations at the higher…
STAT+: Devoted Health’s losses in Medicare Advantage persist
Devoted Health has been one of the most prominent health insurance and provider startups of…
Novavax is on thin ice, and the latest update isn’t exactly encouraging
Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to…
STAT+: Medicare Advantage insurers face slight proposed cut to 2025 payments
The federal government is cutting the average benchmark payments for 2025 Medicare Advantage plans by…
Cigna to sell Medicare Advantage plans to Blue Cross Blue Shield insurer for $3.3 billion
Cigna is officially exiting the Medicare business, agreeing to sell all of its Medicare insurance…
Opinion: Which country has the best health care? That’s the wrong question
I’ve spent my career studying how different health care systems work. People love to ask…
STAT+: Democrats urge government to rein in Medicare Advantage overpayments and denials
The Biden administration is about to set the ground rules for next year’s Medicare Advantage…
STAT+: Humana projects a tough road for Medicare Advantage, sinking its stock
Humana’s Medicare Advantage business is faring even worse than the company let on last week,…
Opinion: Other states should follow New Jersey’s lead on prior authorization reform
Imagine this scene: You are a cancer patient already navigating fear and uncertainty around your…
STAT+: Humana slashes profit predictions amid soaring Medicare Advantage costs
Humana’s Medicare Advantage enrollees got care in the hospital and physician clinics way more often…
STAT+: Biden changes will force health insurers to speed up and get more specific if they want to deny care
The Biden administration moved Wednesday to force insurance companies to give specific reasons for denying…
The state of Medicare Advantage, in one chart
You’re reading the web version of Health Care Inc., STAT’s weekly newsletter following the flow of money…
STAT+: Fiery MedPAC meeting highlights massive overpayments in Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage is arguably the most controversial health care program right now — a sentiment…
STAT+: Heated lawsuit between AdventHealth, MultiPlan attracts hospital lobbyists
A lawsuit between a large hospital system and a dominant vendor that works for health…
STAT+: Morgan Health wants you to know it’s still here
SAN FRANCISCO — Almost three years ago, the country’s biggest bank unveiled a lofty plan…
Opinion: Cost isn’t the only reason Medicare doesn’t cover Wegovy
Few medications have captured the national attention like Wegovy — and for good reason. In…
STAT+: What to expect from hospitals and health insurers at this year’s JPM Healthcare Conference
Nonprofit hospitals often get overshadowed at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, the health care industry’s…
Opinion: I went on a mind-boggling journey to get my son’s ADHD medication covered by insurance — twice
Last January, I went to fill my son’s ADHD prescription and was handed a bag…
Opinion: Insurance companies are forcing psychiatrists like me to stop accepting their coverage
“I’m sorry, but I’m unable to take on new patients at this time.” I’ve said…
UnitedHealth’s rehab restrictions, Texas medical school drama, and health care’s biggest profits
You’re reading the web version of Health Care Inc., STAT’s weekly newsletter following the flow of…
STAT+: Here’s who’s profiting the most in health care
For all the flack they get, the country’s four biggest pharmacy benefit managers reported a…
STAT+: UnitedHealth used secret rules to restrict rehab care for seriously ill Medicare Advantage patients
Health insurance giant UnitedHealth Group used secret rules to restrict access to rehabilitation care requested…
Morning Rounds: Our newsroom’s favorite stories of 2023
Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world everyday. Sign up for our…
Opinion: Why haven’t health care cost increases exceeded inflation? There’s a very good reason
All Americans are worried about inflation. The prices for housing, clothes and food at the…
.jpg)
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 —…
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…
Opinion: Europe’s lessons for the U.S. on how to cover weight loss drugs
It’s no secret that the obesity epidemic in the United States has reached alarming levels,…
Opinion: It’s time to rethink the Medicare annual wellness visit
In 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created the annual wellness visit (AWV),…
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…
Morning Rounds: Couples share high blood pressure, and other health stories you should read today
Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world everyday. Sign up for our…
Opinion: STAT+: A bold approach to pay for weight loss drugs for everyone who needs them
The news about anti-obesity drugs keeps getting better. In November, data presented at the American…
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 Morning Rounds: The health news you need to read today
Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world everyday. Sign up for our…
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…
STAT+: Colon cancer prevention paradox: Higher-risk patients pay more for colonoscopy
Ashley Conway-Anderson was prepared for a lot of things when it came to her first…
Opinion: I worked for CMS. Even I struggle to help family navigate dual eligibility
Three months ago, my aunt Margaret had a stroke. Days before, she was repainting her…