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Biden Administration secures 10 million courses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral medicine
The Biden White House said today that, at a cost of more than $5 billion, it has secured 10 million treatment courses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral drug, contingent on emergency use authorization or approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administra…
Highmark Health President and CEO David Holmberg named chair of AHIP board
AHIP’s Board of Directors has elected HighMark Health President and CEO David Holmberg its new board chair, effective January 1, 2022. Holmberg will take the helm from Bruce Broussard, president and CEO of Humana, who is serving as AHIP Board Chair thr…
Biden Administration is requiring insurers, health plans to report on prescription drug costs
In an interim final rule, the Biden Administration is now requiring private insurers to report prescription drug costs, as well as key data, to the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury.
It’s the fourth rule in a series that the …
Washington loses 2% of healthcare workforce to vaccine mandate
The state of Washington has lost 2% of its healthcare workforce since mandating that all hospital and nursing home staff receive COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Washington State Hospital Association.
While the state hates to see healthcare staff de…
Dartmouth-Hitchcock virtual self-care program receives $30K Cigna sponsorship
The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center has received a sponsorship from the health insurance provider Cigna for a program intended to support the well-being of unpaid caregivers.
The Self-Care Sampler for Family Care Partners virtual program is …
National Kaiser Permanente workers’ strike avoided with tentative agreement
On Saturday, Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract, covering nearly 50,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare employees in 22 local unions, thereby avoiding a potential nationwide strik…
Medicare Part B premiums are increasing by 14.5%
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has increased Medicare Part B premiums, deductibles and coinsurance for next year in what will be a significant hike.
The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $170.10 for 2022, an…
New spending from Build Back Better would outweigh cuts in DSH payments, finds Urban Institute
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden proposed a framework called Build Back Better that would, among other things, expand Medicaid.
AMA argues against blocking the federal vaccination mandate
Workplace transmission is high and vaccination is the most effective mitigation measure, physician group says.
Nonprofit health plans focus on reducing premiums, expanding benefits
Nonprofit payers have used a variety of strategies to address plan affordability throughout the next year, including reducing premiums by as much as 10% in some instances, finds a new report from the Alliance of Community Health Plans.
