Category: Health Insurance

Anti-Fraud Efforts Meet Real-World Test During ACA Enrollment Period

The federal government put guardrails in place to limit unauthorized plan sign-ups and switches. But the changes could prove to be a burden to consumers.

Baptist hospital to expand with $32 million grant

Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Florida’s Baptist Health, has received a $32 million grant from the Marcus Foundation that it calls the biggest in its history.
The grant was one of the final major grants personally directed by Bern…

Express Scripts, Caremark, OptumRx fight back in lawsuit against FTC 

Express Scripts, Caremark and OptumRx are suing the Federal Trade Commission for trying to “upend present day drug rebate contracts.”
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday, Nov. 19 in federal court in Missouri.
It stems from an FTC lawsuit against the same PBM…

CommonSpirit, University of Utah Health team on access

A new, clinically-focused strategic alliance has been formed between CommonSpirit Health and University of Utah Health, with the two entities hoping the alliance will increase access to quality medical care.
Through the alliance, patients at five Commo…

Readers Embrace ‘Going It Alone’ Series on Aging and Chastise Makers of Pulse Oximeters

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Georgians With Disabilities Are Still Being Institutionalized, Despite Federal Oversight

For nearly 15 years, the feds have had oversight of Georgia’s treatment of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities. Observers say the state still jeopardizes some of its most marginalized residents by not meeting the terms of its settlement with the Justice Department.

TV’s Dr. Oz Invested in Businesses Regulated by Agency Trump Wants Him To Lead

Celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz recently held broad investments in health care, tech, and food companies. Were he confirmed to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, his job would involve interacting with giants of the industry that have contributed to his wealth.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Trump’s Nontraditional Health Picks

Not only has President-elect Donald Trump chosen prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Trump also has said he will nominate controversial TV host Mehmet Oz to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees coverage for nearly half of Americans. Meanwhile, the lame-duck Congress is back in Washington with just a few weeks to figure out how to wrap up work for the year. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Riley Ray Griffin of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sarah Varney, who has been covering a trial in Idaho challenging the lack of medical exceptions in that state’s abortion ban.

Almost a quarter of Americans underinsured, survey finds

Among those who were insured all year in 2023, almost a quarter (23%) were underinsured, meaning they had coverage for a full year that didn’t provide them with affordable access to healthcare, according to a new survey from the Commonwealth Fund.

CVS announces Dr. Sreekanth Chaguturu as president, Health Care Delivery

Oak Street Health cofounder Mike Pykosz, president of CVS’ healthcare delivery arm, is departing CVS.
CVS released the news Tuesday, when it announced that Dr. Sreekanth Chaguturu will replace Pykosz and become president, Health Care Delivery, in addit…