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Bill seeks to boost nursing workforce by supporting preceptors
Lawmakers, led by Virginia Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, have introduced the PRECEPT Nurses Act, a bipartisan bill that seeks to address the country’s nursing shortage by establishing a $2,000 tax credit for nurses who serve as a clinical preceptor to nur…
Healthcare.gov plans denied 20% of claims in 2023
Insurers of qualified health plans (QHPs) sold on Healthcare.gov denied an average of 20% of all claims in 2023 – 19% of in-network claims and and 37% of out-of-network claims, finds a new KFF survey.
The in-network denial rate ranged widely, with sign…
Prisma Health opens $3.7 million behavioral health facility
Prisma Health, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, will triple patient access to outpatient behavioral health services in upstate South Carolina with the opening of its new $3.7 million Behavioral Health and Wellness Pavilion.
The opening took…
Many independent pharmacists will not stock drugs in the price negotiation program
The National Community Pharmacists Association has submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services warning that more than 90% of independent pharmacies may decide, or have already decided, to not stock drugs in the Medicare Drug Pr…
Medicare Advantage insurers made about 50 million prior authorization determinations in 2023
Medicare Advantage insurers made nearly 50 million prior authorization determinations in 2023, reflecting steady increases over the past few years as the number of MA enrollees has grown, according to a new KFF analysis.
Cigna Q4 profit takes hit due to medical costs
The Cigna Group saw profits take a hit in the fourth quarter, reaching $1.4 billion, while it struggled with elevated medical costs, officials said during an earnings call today.
Cigna’s profits for the year were $3.4 billion, a decrease from the $5.2 …
Trump bans gender-affirming care for people younger than 19
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that seeks to eliminate government support for transgender healthcare, saying the feds will not fund, sponsor or support gender-affirming surgery and will “rigorously” enforce laws that prohibit or l…
CMS withdraws appeal of UnitedHealth’s star ratings lawsuit
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has withdrawn its appeal of a district court ruling that determined the agency must recalculate Medicare Advantage Star Ratings for UnitedHealthcare.
CMS had originally signaled its intent to file an appea…
190 million people affected by Change Healthcare cyberattack, says UHG
Change Healthcare has confirmed that about 190 million people were affected by the 2024 cyberattack that caused upheaval in the healthcare industry, with the majority of those having already been notified.
UnitedHealth Group, Change’s parent company, s…
Poll: Spend more on Medicare and Medicaid, voters say
As President Donald Trump begins his new term, a new KFF tracking poll finds that both Medicare and Medicaid continue to be viewed favorably by large majorities of the public, including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents.
