California Regulator Signs Off On $37 Billion Aetna-Humana Insurance Merger
Aetna to spend nearly $50 million on health initiatives, agrees to more rate review.
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As Childhood Diabetes Rates Rise, So Do Costs — And Families Feel The Pinch: Study
Researchers estimated that a year’s worth of care for kids with diabetes cost more than $17,000.
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Despite Overdose Epidemic, Georgia Caps The Number Of Opioid Treatment Clinics
Georgia has stopped licensing new clinics that provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. Some call the state’s move irresponsible. Others say the clinics aren’t regulated enough.
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Study Promotes Battlefields’ Lessons To Advance National Trauma Care
A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine calls for the White House to lead a national strategy to promote and continue advances in trauma care.
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Harmful Chemicals Are Everywhere — But What Does That Mean?
A report by the Environmental Working Group measures how much Americans are exposed to a variety of chemicals that may be linked to cancer.
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Florida’s Mosquito Control Forces Mobilize Against Zika Threat
Local mosquito control authorities prepare spray-and-trap offensive to halt Zika-carrying mosquitos in damp breeding grounds.
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Senate Panel Kills Medicare Program That Offers Help On Enrollment, Billing Issues
It’s not clear yet if the full Senate or House will concur in the plan to cut funding for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which operates in all states and gives beneficiaries free advice on enrollment in drug and insurance plans, appealing coverage decisions and applying for financial subsidies.
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California Insurance Commissioner Urges Feds To Block $54 Billion Anthem-Cigna Deal
Commissioner Dave Jones says the deal would further reduce competition in the state’s health insurance market and harm consumers.
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Report From Key Calif. Agency Raises Concerns About Proposal To Cut Drug Prices
Staff researchers at California’s largest public buyer of health benefits say the goal of reducing drug costs for the state is appealing but might not work in the real world.
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Feds Urge State Medicaid Programs To Encourage Long-Acting Contraceptives
Medicaid spends billions on unintended pregnancies, and federal officials say better use of long-acting contraceptives, such as IUDs, offer advantages for women and are cost-effective.
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Advisory Panel Targets Rising Medicare Drug Costs In Its Latest Report To Congress
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission outlined a package of changes to Medicare’s drug program that could save billions of dollars.
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Study Projects Sharper Increases In Obamacare Premiums For 2017
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis forecasts rates could jump 10 percent next year in 14 major metro markets.
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Screen Flashes And Pop-Up Reminders: ‘Alert Fatigue’ Spreads Through Medicine
Electronic health records increasingly include automated alert systems pegged to patients’ health information. In some cases, though, the sheer volume of these messages has become unmanageable.
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Medicare Releases Draft Proposal For Patient Observation Notice
Although there is widespread agreement on the need to let people know if they haven’t been admitted, the language proposed by federal officials hasn’t satisfied everyone.
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Gaps In Women’s Health Care May Derail Zika Prevention In Texas, Florida
In these two high-risk states, public health workers face challenges in educating women about the virus and minimizing its impact.
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If Zika Concerns Might Derail A Trip, Consider ‘Cancel-For-Any-Reason’ Plans
Consumers planning a vacation who have worries about health issues may want to look into travel insurance that allows them to cancel the trip for any reason.
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By Sharing Painkillers, Friends And Family Members Can Fuel Opioid Epidemic: Study
New research also highlights the public’s lack of knowledge regarding the proper ways to store and dispose of these highly addictive prescriptions.
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As Hospital Chains Grow, So Do Their Prices For Care
The average patient stay costs $4,000 more at Sutter and Dignity hospitals than at other California medical centers, study shows.
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Legal Medical Abortions Are Up In Texas, But So Are DIY Pills From Mexico
Women seeking an abortion in restrictive Texas now often pick the medical version, thanks to FDA rules making it easier. Others seek cheaper pills in Mexico, and aren’t getting guidance from a doctor.
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Medicare’s Efforts To Curb Backlog Of Appeals Not Sufficient, GAO Reports
Investigators from the GAO call for HHS to improve oversight of the Medicare appeals process and streamline it to make sure repetitive claims are handled more efficiently.
