On June 23, 2020, District Judge Carl Nichols ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s final rule requiring hospitals to disclose their negotiated prices. This decision comes after a lawsuit filed by the American Hospital Association (AHA) late last year. The suit was an attempt to block the rule’s implementation, …
The U.S. Department of Labor launched an interactive online tool to help workers determine if they qualify for paid sick leave or extended family and medical leave to cover time away from work for reasons related to the coronavirus (COVID-19). The tool acts as a guide for workers, which walks …
Direct Primary Care (DPC) continues to be an innovative approach to help reinvigorate primary care for doctors and patients. A direct primary care plan is a contract between an individual and one or more primary care physicians to provide medical care for a fixed fee without billing a third party. …
The coronavirus pandemic has forced employers to reimagine how they conduct business now and in the future. With many companies extending telework opportunities and seeking ways to limit contact in the workplace, employers are beginning to plan for virtual open enrollment. Businesses have and will continue to face adjustments to …
As the scope of the coronavirus pandemic continues to expand, Aetna continues to show its commitment to help support and protect its members. The carrier is mindful of the challenges their small business customers and employees have had to face, which has led to the initiative to again extend and …
As the current pandemic continues to raise health concerns, many health insurance carriers have taken the initiative to ensure members have continued coverage for and access to COVID-19 related testing and treatment. For instance, Cigna announced they have extended their previously announced support for customers, by implementing the following COVID-19 …
Over the last several months, the rise of COVID-19 has presented an excessive amount of challenges to individuals, businesses, institutions and across national and global healthcare systems. In efforts to restore imbalances in the healthcare industry, UnitedHealth Group, along with many other insurance carriers, have rose to the occasion. UnitedHealth …
Across the nation, we continue to witness the high demand and stress the COVID-19 pandemic is placing on our healthcare system. While challenges and uncertainty continue to present themselves, costs increase. The healthcare marketplace’s combined costs for testing, treating, and caring for patients is estimated to rise from $56 billion …
Due to the increased need for access to social service resources, Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Gateway Health have partnered with Aunt Bertha to provide a free resource tool for individuals facing food, housing or other crises during these difficult times. The Aunt Bertha directory contains geographic-specific information …
President Trump signed the newest coronavirus aid bill into law, which provides $484 billion in relief funding. This funding will be allocated to small businesses and hospitals under stress due to the pandemic, as well as to expanding COVID-19 testing. Breakdown of the Bill Earlier this month, when funding for …
Across the nation, our healthcare system has had to face a plethora of challenges. The COVID-19 crisis continues to place high demand and stress on healthcare workers, specifically, those on the front lines of patient care and treatment. Virtual care has surfaced as one of the best solutions to address …
It’s essential for patients that are experiencing serious illness, including symptoms of COVID-19, to have access to necessary treatment and prescription medication. In efforts to protect those with chronic conditions from medication shortages, CVS Caremark recently set new guidelines to limit the purchase of essential medications. Medications to help ease …
On March 27, 2020, the U.S. Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide $2.2 trillion in federal funding to address the COVID-19 crisis. The CARES Act expands Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) coverage and provisions related to telehealth services, guidelines for Medicare coverage, …
In efforts to ease consumers’ concerns about healthcare costs in light of the COVID-19 crisis, at least nine states have reopened their health insurance exchanges for uninsured residents to enroll in coverage. The response stems from the necessity for uninsured patients to be able to receive the medical care they …
Health insurance companies are taking action to ensure members have coverage for and access to needed testing as the new coronavirus strain, COVID-19, continues to spread across the United States. Carriers such as Aetna, Independence Blue Cross, Highmark, and Cigna are actively monitoring the spread of the virus; and diligently …
