Author: Elizabeth Casolo

From $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts courtesy of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to workforce shortages, Medicaid home- and community-based services are under pressure. KFF evaluated payment rates, provider closures and staffing issues through a 2025 survey. All states,…

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul blamed a 38% average spike in health insurance premiums for state residents on the Dec. 31 expiration of ACA enhanced premium tax credits. The average monthly increase for a New York couple is $228. Out…

An Arkansas law has expanded coverage for bariatric surgery, but not weight-loss drugs. Under Act 628, the state’s Medicaid program and commercial plans must cover bariatric surgery — along with its preoperative and post-operative care — for individuals with “severe…

Health insurance marketplace Access Health CT is extending its enrollment window until Jan. 31 for coverage that starts in February, according to an update on its website. The open enrollment period for qualified health plans and stand-alone dental plans began…

Public safety retirees in Arizona can access broader cancer insurance benefits through a new state law clarifying eligibility. Eligible retirees include former firefighters, law enforcement officers and corrections officers. The legislation passed in the spring, but the changes were effective…

New York City-based Mount Sinai physicians are no longer in Anthem’s network as of Jan. 1, according to both organizations. The contract expired Dec. 31, 2025, following negotiations which began in the spring. All Mount Sinai facilities will go out…

As the end of 2025 approaches, so do a handful of payer-provider agreements.  Earlier this year, the number of contract disputes were down. While some insurers and health systems reach a resolution — either before or even after their deadlines…

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is dropping its Medicare fitness benefit, a spokesperson confirmed Dec. 31 to Becker’s. A spokesperson for the insurer said it reevaluates its Medicare benefits “to ensure our products are competitive and remain financially…

Cigna and Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare reached an agreement in their contract dispute, a Cigna spokesperson confirmed Dec. 31 to Becker’s. Tenet has 64 hospitals, nearly 370 ambulatory surgical centers and roughly 2,000 providers across the country. “An agreement has been…

Health Care Service Corp.’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas filed a lawsuit against medical billing company Zotec Partners Dec. 18, alleging “abuse” of the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution process, according to filings from the Eastern District…