As It Turns Out, Employers Contained Obamacare Costs So Far
A new report shows privately insured spending grew just 3.9% in 2013, in a sign that health plans are better controlling costs with usage of medical care services offsetting higher prices.
View ArticleHealth Insurers Need Doctors To Hold Onto Medicaid Pay Raise
A pay raise of more than 70 percent for doctors who treat Medicaid patients is in jeopardy come Jan. 1, 2015, which could have a negative impact on provider networks for health plans contracting with...
View ArticleConsumer Health Spending a Welcome Wrinkle for Allergan-Actavis Deal
With consumer spending on "descrtionary items" like elective healthcare procedures, treatments and products on the rise, the combined Actavis and Allergan with its portfolio of cosmetic drugs like...
View ArticleDrug Giants Face $65 Billion in Lost Sales as Insurers Attack Patents
Expiring patents on major brand name drugs, particularly bipolar treatments and other prescriptions for central nervous system disorders, may cost $65 billion in lost sales by 2019, a new study shows.
View Article5 Prescriptions for $1 Billion in Cost Cuts at Walgreen
Walgreen this week completes its acquisition of European drugstore chain Alliance Boots, in a deal that involves a commitment to slash expenses as part of a global expansion plan.
View ArticleSCOTUS Ruling Against Obamacare Subsidies Could Cost Insurers 10 Million...
The U.S. Supreme Court, which is slated to hear a case as early as next month on the legality of subsidies awarded to Americans who purchased health coverage on the federally run marketplace, could...
View ArticleMedicare Chief Says Insurer Advantage Plans Improving in 2015
A star rating system for health plans that provide Medicare benefits to the elderly has gradually improved the quality of insurers providing coverage for seniors as well as the bottom lines and stocks...
View ArticleHospitals Warn Of "Death Spiral" if SCOTUS Strips Obamacare Subsidies
The hospital industry is closely watching the U.S. Supreme Court case King v. Burwell, which could strip subsidies from millions of Americans to buy health insurance and trigger a spike in...
View ArticleHealth Insurers Poised to Profit on Value-Based Care
Insurance companies are pushing more aggressively than ever away from paying doctors and hospitals with fees for service, and that means more revenue left on the table.
View ArticleThe $136 Billion Cost of Hepatitis C Treatment
Expensive hepatitis C pills will account for 1 in every 10 dollars spend on prescription drugs in the U.S. by 2019 or $136 billion over five years, according to a new study by M.D. Anderson Cancer...
View ArticleThis Healthcare Revolution Is Just Getting Started
Health insurance companies are spending billions of dollars to make sure the doctors and other medical-care providers they work with have the tools they need to move from fee-for-service medicine to...
View ArticleIncoming Healthcare Bonanza for Mobile Tech Companies?
As insurance companies and government health plans like Medicare move away from fee-for-service medicine to paying hospitals and health systems via a value-based model, it’s going to be a boon to...
View ArticleDouble-Digit Spike in Drug Costs Prescribes Profits for PBMs
A new report by employee benefit consultancy Aon Hewitt forecasts a 10% increase in employer drug costs through 2017, which puts a spotlight on pharmacy benefit management companies to assist...
View ArticleMedicaid Expansion a Huge Boon for Insurers
More states are expanding Medicaid coverage for poor Americans under the Affordable Care Act, which means millions more potential customers for health plans that contract with states to administer...
View ArticleMedicaid Stocks to Watch as Quality Ratings Emerge
The Obama administration will soon roll out new regulations for the Medicaid managed-care industry, which will face quality ratings akin to the measures for Medicare Advantage plans.
View ArticleStocks To Watch: Private Exchange Health Benefits
Employers are moving millions of active employees and retirees to private exchanges to select their benefits -- a trend that could be a boon to companies offering such exchanges.
View ArticleHealth Industry Dials Up Telehealth for Growth
Both health insurance companies and providers of medical care are investing in telehealth, which allows virtual patient care when patients can see doctors via mobile phones, tablets and desktop...
View ArticleUnitedHealth's "Urgent" Strategy Is Paying Off
UnitedHealth's Optum subsidiary is benefiting from the company's acquisition earlier this year of more urgent-care centers, a low-cost way for consumers to get quality medical care at a low price and...
View ArticleCould Antitrust Scrutiny Derail Your Insurer's Next Move?
As the proposed Anthem-Cigna merger and the Aetna-Humana deal enter a period seeking antitrust clearance and government scrutiny, consolidating health insurers are facing a chorus of criticism from...
View ArticleCould New ICD-10 Medical Codes Put the Health Industry in Sick Bay?
October is the first month health insurers and medical-care providers have to use new government-mandated ICD-10 medical codes. With reports that some weren't ready for the rollout, any glitches in...
View Article3 Obamacare Concerns for the Healthcare Industry
From an increase in uninsured patients who can't afford their premiums to issues verifying eligibility of customers, the Affordable Care Act's public exchange business is experiencing some growing...
View ArticleThe Race to Elevate Healthcare Into the Cloud
Technology and healthcare companies are betting big on cloud-based technology, which can save money and reward companies with the best ideas for reducing costs.
View ArticleFewer Obamacare Choices Could Boost Health Stocks
Health insurance companies trying to manage costs of customers buying products on public exchanges under the Affordable Care Act are offering more plans with limited choices to control costs and boost...
View ArticleRetail Pharmacies Move to Capture More Obamacare Dollars
As payments to medical-care providers are driven to value-based models and away from costly fee-for-service medicine, hospitals and health systems find the need for a closer relationship with retail...
View ArticleHealthcare Industry Sees a Sense of Urgency in Low Cost Centers
Hospital operators, insurance companies, and potentially retail drugstores see the addition of urgent care centers as a lower cost, consumer-friendly alternative to the hospital emergency room as the...
View ArticleDon't Forget About Obamacare's Medicaid Bonanza
There are 31 states plus the District of Columbia that have expanded Medicaid benefits under an option available under the Affordable Care Act, and more states are turning administration of the program...
View ArticleHow Insurers and Wearables Will Change Healthcare
Health insurers and their employer clients are covering the cost of health wearables as part of an emerging trend that could benefit the insurance industry if it leads to better enrollee health. And...
View ArticleMedicare Is Pushing Care Forward: Here's Who Benefits
Health insurers are earning unprecedented scores on Medicare's Star Ratings, which rate health insurers' Advantage plans on a five-notch scale. This performance rewards insurers with bonuses and also...
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