I’ ve introduced a new bill in the Missouri House of Representatives to make this stressful decision easier for Missouri parents and reduce hospital costs for all state healthcare consumers, including employers. House Bill 1837 would convince Missouri hospitals to finally post their actual prices, including for admittance to the ER, and hold patients…
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Mar. 1— A cyberattack at a Lower 48 health care technology company is causing havoc at pharmacies across Alaska, which have struggled for more than a week to receive electronic prescriptions and process insurance payment claims as a result of the attack. The breach has caused prescription and claims processing delays for pharmacies and health care providers…
For Medicaid expansion to pass in Kansas, it would need the backing of top lawmakers like House Speaker Dan Hawkins. "Zero," the Wichita Republican said in an interview in the House leadership offices in the Statehouse, within spitting distance of the House floor. Expanding Medicaid would open eligibility to Kansans under 138% of the federal poverty level—…
When most people think of Medicaid expansion, they think about people without existing insurance obtaining coverage. Some 140,000 people in Mississippi who currently have private health plans through the ACA exchange would be forced off those plans and onto Medicaid were expansion to pass and the Governor's likely veto be overridden.
While Reid Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield are still attempting to reach an agreement, Tony Felts, spokesman for ABCBS, said there are other locations patients can begin to look at that accept their insurance. "Anthem has presented a proposal that offers fair rates in line with those accepted by other health systems in the state, including Ascension,…
House Bill 1725, authored by Republican House Speaker Jason White and Medicaid Chairwoman Missy McGee, R- Hattiesburg, has bipartisan support in the House, even as the state's Republican governor continues to oppose the policy. During Tuesday's meeting, McGee explained to committee members that Mississippi during the first two years of expansion would…
On Tuesday at the Capitol in Pierre, the state House of Representatives voted 63-7 to send the measure to the ballot. The seven no votes came from the chamber's seven Democrats. The measure previously passed the Senate 28-4, with the four no votes coming from that chamber's four Democrats.
Feb. 28— Boulder Community Health has announced it will start accepting many Kaiser Permanente health insurance plans this week. Effective Friday, Boulder's Foothills Hospital will become part of the Kaiser network for most of Boulder County's 38,000 Kaiser members. Thousands of people in the Boulder region who have these Kaiser insurance plans are now…
Understanding available employee benefits helps advisors fill gaps, study says
Nearly 70% of workers surveyed will have at least one employer-provided insurance policy in 2024 other than health insurance, a study found.
UCare is looking to continue its recent growth spurt by competing for Medicaid business in the state of Kansas. Minneapolis- based UCare says it met a January deadline for bidding on the work and has been learning about the Kansas market through meetings with health care providers, community groups and state officials. "Kansas isn't the only state that we're…
NABIP adopts American Health Consumer Bill of Rights
Saying that it wants to “put the health back in our health care system,” the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals announced its American Health Consumer Bill of Rights during the 2024 NABIP Capitol Conference on Monday.
U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, last Thursday joined more than 150 congressional colleagues in urging health insurers to improve access to birth control by fully covering all contraceptives without a generic equivalent. In a letter to America's Health Insurance Plans, legislators urged health insurers to comply with the law and…
AI in health care decisions the subject of Georgia bill
Although Georgia State Rep. Mandisha Thomas, D-District 65, said she believes artificial intelligence is “a wonderful tool,” she does not believe AI should have the final word when it comes to health care decisions.
"Most— but not all— are Democrats." Republican leaders in the House and Senate on Tuesday were undeterred by Reeves' remarks and said they are still considering legislation to expand Medicaid coverage to improve some of the state's dire health outcomes and address the high percentage of Mississippians who remain uninsured. House Speaker Jason White, R-West, told…
NABIP members take concerns about employer-based insurance, health costs to Congress
Members of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals are asking Congress to preserve and strengthen employer-sponsored health insurance, address the cost of health care, and keep Medicare beneficiaries’ access to advisors and brokers during their annual Capitol Conference.
Kelly Swayze couldn't get insurance coverage for the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy through her Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan. "I have a couple of friends who started either Wegovy or Ozempic and they've had some success and definitely have had some health benefits along with losing weight," said Swayze, a 34- year-old teacher and mother of two from…
Feb. 22— A cybersecurity attack against Change Healthcare led to delays and struggles on Thursday at pharmacies across the nation, and on the Mississippi Coast. "We're way behind because of it," Riley Baggett, a pharmacist at Love's Pharmacy in Ocean Springs, said Thursday afternoon. Change Healthcare, which is owned by UnitedHealth, told Fox Business on Thursday…
Pharmacy benefit managers are companies that act as third-party administrators of prescription drug programs for commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, Medicare Part D plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and state government employee plans like the Public Employees Insurance Agency. A response to those concerns, Senate…
Christopher Marks noticed an immediate improvement when his doctor prescribed him the Type 2 diabetes medication Mounjaro last year. The 40- year-old truck driver from Kansas City, Missouri, said his average blood sugar reading decreased significantly and keeping it within target range took less insulin than before. By November, he decided it wasn't worth…
BOSTON— Having a baby in Massachusetts may not require prospective parents to meet insurance deductibles or shell out copays if a bill eyed favorably by the Joint Committee of Financial Services makes it through the next steps needed for it to arrive on the governor's desk. Cindy Friedman, D- Arlington, the bill's sponsor. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022..