Author's posts
One in four skip wellness appointments, regular checkups
Many Americans appear to be rolling the dice on their health, with a new Aflac survey showing that about one in four regularly skip checkups because they feel healthy in the moment.
The Wellness Matters survey, conducted among 2,001 employed adults in …
NAHC sues Medicare to preserve home health service benefit
The National Association for Home Care and Hospice has filed a lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, challenging the validity of a change in Medicare home health pa…
Healthcare job cuts increase 97% from 2022
Healthcare companies and health-centric product manufacturers have seen job cuts in their industry increase 97% since the first six months of 2022, ranking it fourth among all industries in terms of the number of job cuts during the first half of this …
Ex-Optum Everycare CEO to helm Confluent Health
Dr. Kristi Henderson is leaving her role as CEO of Optum Everycare to take on the role of CEO at Confluent Health, a group of physical and occupational therapy companies.
Henderson has already begun work in her new role. Confluent Health’s Founder and …
HHS proposed rule targets ‘junk’ health insurance plans
Junk health plans are in the crosshairs of the Department of Health and Human Services, which pledged this week to protect consumers from such plans, as well as surprise medical bills and excess costs that lead to medical debt.
Aetna sued by Kraft Heinz for allegedly mishandling data
An employee benefits group at Kraft Heinz Co. has filed a lawsuit against insurer Aetna, accusing the company of breaching its fiduciary duties by leveraging its status as a third-party claims administrator to benefit itself financially.
Medicare Advantage quality bonus program failing to meet objectives, report finds
The Medicare Advantage quality bonus program, established by the Affordable Care Act as part of a package of MA reforms, was expected to reduce payments to MA organizations. But according to a new Urban Institute report, the expected cost savings from …
U.S. News revises ‘Best Hospitals’ methodology in wake of backlash
Following backlash, U.S. News and World Report has made a number of changes to its methodology for its upcoming Best Hospitals rankings, which are due for release on August 1.
Officials from U.S. News, including Managing Editor and Chief of Health Anal…
South Dakota expanding Medicaid to 52,000 residents
South Dakota has decided to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and according to the Department of Health and Human Services, this will result in new eligibility for health coverage for about 52,000 residents of the state, including many mem…
Payers could see 7% spike in healthcare costs in 2024
Healthcare costs are expected to increase as much as 7% in 2024 due to continued labor shortages, drug price increases and new contracts between payers and providers – representing a larger jump in costs than in either of the previous two years.
