National enrollment for 2020 health plans on HealthCare.gov totaled 8.3 million for the open enrollment period ending on Dec. 15. But this year because some consumers attempting to enroll during the final hours experienced issues, the deadline for sign up was extended until 3 a.m. EST Dec. 18.
This year, shoppers seeking health...National News
Despite 2020 presidential candidate debates and lawmakers' crusade on the healthcare industry's business model, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and insurance companies fared quite favorably as billions in tax breaks line their pockets ahead of the holidays.
Former CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt told the Washington Post,...National News
This month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the National Health Care Spending Report In 2018. The report demonstrated that health spending in the United States grew faster in 2018 than it had in the two previous years.
The Dec. 5 report is a compilation of National Health Expenditure data released...Arizona News
This week, the Supreme Court heard a case alleging the government owes $12 billion it promised, but never paid to Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurers.
Back in 2010, Obamacare established a “risk-corridor” provision designed to encourage plans to take on risky, previously uninsurable enrollees. The program promised to...National News
In a ruling last week, a US District Court Judge in Oregon granted a preliminary injunction against a proclamation by the Trump Administration that would require immigrants coming to the United States to prove that they have health insurance in order to get a visa.
This proclamation was said to only affect new visa applicants, not...National News
Warren’s plan departs from the Medicare for All proposal from the Sanders camp and also drew severe scrutiny from her opponents as well as Democratic Party leadership. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren released her Medicare for All plan last week, after several months of high anticipation and speculation about the her...Arizona News
Arizona children without health insurance is now at the third highest percentage in the nation after increasing more than 10% between 2016 and 2018, according to a report from Georgetown University. Researchers found 8.4% of Arizona kids lacked coverage, placing the state behind Texas and Alaska. In an interview with Tucson.com, Zaida...Arizona News
The Urban Institute released a highly anticipated study Oct. 15 regarding the viability and expenses of health insurance coverage reform plans proposed by Democratic Party candidates designed to move the country towards universal or near-universal coverage.
With the 2020 Democratic Primary and debates on healthcare reform heating up,...Arizona News
Pharmaceutical and medical device companies spent more than $53 million on Arizona doctors in 2018 for intellectual property, consulting and services such as public speaking. Arizona ranked 14th among all U.S. states, with the top collector being California at $306 million.
The payments are published every year by nonprofit...National News
As the 2020 election nears, the battle between political parties over healthcare continues to heighten and President Trump took to Florida-based retirement community, The Villages, in early October to clarify his health policy agenda as he aims for re-election.
At the crux of his proposal are four key considerations, including...CMS Rules
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Aug. 15 that all plans on HealthCare.gov will be required to display quality star ratings during the 2020 open enrollment.
CMS said in a news release, the move builds on efforts by the Trump Administration to increase transparency and encourage informed coverage...Arizona News
Missouri-based managed care enterprise Centene announced an expansion of its Affordable Care Act plan offerings to ten new markets, including Arizona, where it currently offers 17 plans in Maricopa and Pima counties as Health Net: Arizona Complete Health.
As of June 30, Centene served 1.9 million individual exchange members in 20...National News
Early last week the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a decision stating Congress can review and overturn Trump Administration guidance regarding Section 1332 waivers, or innovation waivers, that have loosened Affordable Care Act restrictions and opened gateways for states to overhaul individual exchanges.
An October...Arizona News
Sen. Bernie Sanders took another blow to his controversial single-payer proposal “Medicare-for-All” as presidential candidate front-runner Joe Biden unsurprisingly shows solidarity with Obama by offering an expansion of the Affordable Care Act as a government healthcare solution.
On paper, Biden’s plan is significantly more...Arizona News
A panel of three federal judges for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard 90 minutes of oral arguments on Tuesday defending or refuting a Texas district judges ruling of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as unconstitutional in December. Millions of Americans depending on the ACA for healthcare are at risk of losing coverage if the...Arizona News
The lawsuit calling into question the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) constitutionality brought on by 20 red state attorneys general has made its way back into the limelight after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals asked parties involved in Texas v. United States to address three questions sent out by the office of the clerk last...Arizona News
Scrutiny on healthcare policy is intensifying following recent warnings from House Democrats against Affordable Care Act (ACA) changes, citing an internal memo sent by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma to Health & Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in August.
The memo from Verma...National News
Healthcare-sharing ministries serve as an alternative to traditional health plans where members with common religious beliefs share the cost of care. Currently, more than one million Americans are part of a care ministry.
According to the Wall Street Journal, ministries round up hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and as...Arizona News
The Trump administration finalized a new rule last week, further chipping away at the Obama administration’s healthcare legacy by allowing employers to set aside tax-preferred funds and pay money into employee health reimbursement accounts (HRAs).
Employees can later retrieve that money to purchase healthcare coverage on the...National News
An April report conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlights a lack of transparency in federal review of section 1115 Medicaid waiver proposals. While acknowledging that CMS has made progress toward transparency, the GAO identified areas for improvement and made two specific recommendations. GAO asserts that...
