Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
President Trump Signs Executive Order Reinforcing Price Transparency Rules
Fierce Healthcare: Trump Issues Executive Order To Crack Down On Price Transparency
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to reinforce rules, put into place during his first term, that push hospitals and payers to make healthcare prices more transparent for patients. The order directs the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services to rapidly implement and enforce the Trump healthcare price transparency regulations, which were first issued in 2019. These rules were "slow walked" by the Biden administration, the White House said in a fact sheet explaining the executive order. (Landi, 2/25)
Fierce Healthcare: Providers 'Wasted' Almost $18B In 2023 Overturning Claims Denials
Hospitals and health systems spent an estimated $25.7 billion in 2023 contesting insurers’ claims denials, translating to just over $57 in additional administrative costs per claim, according to a report from provider group purchasing organization Premier. That report, which surveyed 280 of the organization’s member hospitals, suggests a 23% increase in spending over a similar analysis of 2022 data Premier had conducted a year prior. (Muoio, 2/26)
The Wall Street Journal: UnitedHealth Group Medicare Billing Practice Inquiry Launched By Sen. Grassley
Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Andrew Witty a letter demanding detailed information on the company’s Medicare billing practices Monday. The letter—which cited findings from a series of Wall Street Journal articles published over the past year—said “the apparent fraud, waste, and abuse at issue is simply unacceptable and harms not only Medicare beneficiaries, but also the American taxpayer.” (Weaver and Mathews, 2/25)
Stat: A Bill Is Re-Introduced In Congress To Revise Provisions In Drug-Pricing Law
Once again, House lawmakers have introduced a bill to alter a key provision of the Inflation Reduction Act in response to arguments that the federal law is discouraging investment in developing so-called small molecule medicines. (Silverman, 2/25)
NBC News: They Were Told To Get Extra Breast Cancer Screenings. Then They Got Stuck With The Bill
When Molly Smith went for her first mammogram in 2021, she had reason to be wary. Her grandmother, mother, sister and another family member have all been diagnosed with breast cancer. ... To her great relief, Smith received a clean report following an ultrasound, MRI and biopsy. But she incurred bills of more than $1,000 that her insurance didn’t cover. Smith is one of millions of American women who are at high risk for breast cancer but whose insurance does not cover the costs of follow-on screenings needed to detect the disease. (Morgenson, 2/25)
Have you experienced Rx sticker shock? —
The podcast “An Arm and a Leg” is collecting stories from listeners about what they’ve done to get the prescription drugs they need when facing sticker shock. If you’re interested in contributing, you can learn more and submit your stories here.
