CMS’s proposed Medicare Advantage rule for 2027 includes more leeway for hemp coverage. Hemp has low concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, as defined by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Under the proposal, hulled hemp seed, hemp seed protein powder and hemp…
Author: Elizabeth Casolo
Highmark recently shared how it increased generic and biosimilar access to members, focusing on drugs for multiple sclerosis, cancer and autoimmune conditions. The insurer has been working with CivicaScript, a nonprofit generic drug company it helped found, to offer these…
Aetna and Providence Oregon have reestablished their contract, according to a Dec. 4 post from the hospital network. The multiyear agreement brings the hospitals back in network after nearly a year. The contract originally expired Dec. 31, 2024, OregonLive reported,…
While Senate Democrats have been gearing up to vote on their ACA enhanced subsidy extension proposal on Dec. 11, Republicans are readying their own bill. “The way the program is structured, the money goes straight to the insurance companies,” Senate…
CMS issued a bulletin Dec. 8 outlining guidance on Medicaid’s forthcoming work requirements. Some states are already embracing work requirements, while others are looking for exceptions. Here are eight things to know: 1. Work requirements will kick in Jan. 1,…
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State Supreme Court of New York County Judge Lyle Frank denied a preliminary injunction that would have blocked the Jan. 1 rollout of NYCE PPO, a self-funded health plan administered by EmblemHealth and UnitedHealthcare’s third-party administrator, UMR. A Dec. 8…
West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and the subsidiary containing its pharmacy benefit manager, Optum, over their alleged role in the state’s opioid crisis, according to a Dec. 8 statement and court filing. The…
Curative recently landed over $150 million in series B funding. Now, the COVID-19 testing company-turned-insurer is expanding. Curative CEO Fred Turner told Becker’s about the company’s choice to move into the Mid-Atlantic region, starting with Maryland and Washington, D.C. “In…
Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a State Assembly bill that prevents immigrants lacking permanent legal status from getting healthcare reimbursement Dec. 5, despite these individuals already being ineligible to enroll in BadgerCare Plus, Wisconsin’s Medicaid program. While Wisconsin currently…
Highmark Health is offering generic medications for multiple sclerosis and certain cancers, along with biosimilar drugs for some autoimmune conditions, at lower costs. In September, members started getting access to generic forms of dimethyl fumarate and dalfampridine, droxidopa, and capecitabine,…