CMS is penalizing 2,334 hospitals, about 80% of those evaluated, under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program in fiscal 2027, according to new CMS data.

Employee retirement savings are down, according to a Goldman Sachs report, as housing, daily expenses and debt crowd out savings and financial stress affects focus, attendance and retention.

Piedmont Healthcare and Aetna Medicare Advantage contracts expire on December 31, 2026.

Medical billing and coding is so complicated that it's a profession in its own right. Despite efforts to prevent them, mistakes still happen.

Contracts between Lee Health and UnitedHealthcare expire on December 31, 2026. Microsites are available.

Providence Health and UnitedHealthcare are still negotiating about D-SNP in Washington, but other Medicare Advantage plans will leave the network on December 31

Kettering Health has announced it will not renew its current contract with Anthem Medicare Advantage, which ends on December 31, 2026.

More than one in four U.S. adults (27%) reported that they or their family members owed medical debt in 2025, including 26% of adults with health insurance, according to a new Urban Institute…

The California Medical Association and the California Association of Health Plans are challenging the state’s restructured managed care organization tax, according to an Oct. 1 California Supreme Court filing.

Why This Matters: Coupons and other discount programs for branded drugs can help consumers with chronic conditions reduce their out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter. But there are concerns that such measures encourage patients to use more expensive medications over less costly treatments and contribute to higher health care spending and thus higher premiums.

Two-thirds of small-business owners want outside help offering benefits, while increasing costs and limited budgets make health coverage harder to sustain.

Tests like full-body scans marketed directly to consumers are pitched as a way to detect diseases early and establish a baseline of health markers. But there are financial, physical, and…

The Federal Trade Commission has warned 24 of the nation’s largest health systems that incomplete, inaccurate or untimely price disclosures could violate federal consumer protection law, even if the organizations comply with CMS’ hospital price transparency requirements.

Although hospitals and insurers have traditionally operated as separate organizations, an increasing number of health systems have begun offering vertically integrated insurance plans, known as…

Healthcare is facing a wave of high-stakes litigation that could redefine drug pricing, insurance oversight, health technology competition, AI deployment, labor policy and public health regulation.…

Affordability challenges are transforming the health benefits market, requiring brokers, carriers, and employers to make difficult decisions. In 2000,

Pediatric clinicians can learn useful information by tracking the health misinformation that their patients encounter, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026…

US drug launch prices rose much faster than inflation from 2008 to 2025, with no evidence that the growth accelerated after the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

There’s a term for reducing unnecessary or harmful drugs: “deprescribing.” Especially as patients age, experts say, it’s important to regularly review the medications they’re taking.

Ignoring Substack is ignoring a huge opportunity to get the word out. So, I won't. But the main site is still BenefitMims.com.

North Kansas City Health (NKC Health) is now out-of-network with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans.

Network contract disputes, ACA rate filings, and employee benefits explained in plain language. Stay informed about negotiations that could affect your healthcare coverage.

Endeavor Health will no longer accept Aetna Medicare Advantage Plans after December 31, 2026. There are some exceptions.

The Office of Personnel Management published information about plan options and premium rates for 2027, ahead of the upcoming Open Season this fall.

The average starting salary for all physicians has hit $419,000 in 2025-26. On top of base salaries, signing bonuses were offered in 87% of physician search engagements.

The letter it sent to its 16,000 members who are affected didn’t go into [their] options. The federal government has strict requirements on what the letter can and cannot say.

Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood and UnitedHealthcare have extended their contract through December 16, 2026.

HCA Healthcare facilities in Florida and Texas are now out of network with Cigna, and negotiations appear to be tense.

Americans are embracing the prospect of higher life expectancies but worry about the financial tradeoffs, including healthcare costs, retirement income, and outliving their savings.

The Trump administration has begun sending $500 checks to more than 950,000 people in 30 states it says were overcharged through the ACA’s federal exchange, according to information an administration official shared with Becker’s.

The network contract between Alaska Regional Hospital and Premera BCBS of Alaska is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2026.

Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital and Jefferson Health Plans have reached a new provider network contract agreement.

Satisfaction with pharmacy benefit managers has stabilized in 2026, though the likelihood of contract renewal without a competitive request for proposal declined, a new

With Medicare's annual enrollment period on the horizon, major insurers are offering a look at their plans for the coming year as new federal data offers a broader view of the current landscape.

CMS has finalized the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) Model, a mandatory payment model that will tie Medicare Part B drug rebates to prices paid in 19 reference countries, according to a Sept. 30 CMS news release.

Scripps Health and Anthem Blue Cross have reached a new multi-year agreement, but only for PPO and EPO members.

NEW YORK, Oct 1(Reuters) - US health insurers including UnitedHealthcare and CVS Health's Aetna will shift to offer more Medicare Advantage plans that limit provider access ‌for enrolled users, the…

NewYork-Presbyterian and UnitedHealthcare have agreed on a further extension of in-network coverage through September 30, 2026.

Eight health system-affiliated insurers are among the 12 total health plans exiting the Medicare Advantage market for 2027, according to CMS data.

Legacy Health and UnitedHealthcare have reached a new, multi-year provider network agreement.

UnitedHealthcare and USA Health have agreed to extend contract negotiations through October 31, 2026.

While Democratic congressional candidates are floating the restoration of federal Affordable Care Act subsidies and Medicaid funding, Oregon officials are crafting a more ambitious plan to implement…

Avina Women's Care and UnitedHealthcare have reached a new, multi-year provider network contract.

Just how easy is it for a minor administrative error to cause a health insurance claim denial? The answer: very. A look at the CMS-1500 form shows us why.

A September 2026 American Medical Association Policy Research Perspective analyzed Decision Resources Group data on PBM and insurer market shares from 2022 to 2024. Together, the four largest PBMs controlled 75% of the national market, up from 70% in 2022.

The insurance industry is facing a distribution challenge as consumers gain unprecedented access to information while the advisor ranks continue to shrink, panelists agreed during a closing session Tuesday at the 2026 LIMRA Annual Conference.

Worried about Medicare in 2027? IMPORTANT NOTICE: Significant market disruptions are coming to Medicare plans...

Providence Washington and Cigna have reached an agreement. Members should experience no disruptions in coverage.

New customs requirements taking effect Oct. 22 could disrupt access for millions of Americans who buy prescription drugs from Canadian and other foreign mail-order pharmacies, according to a Sept. 24 report from The Wall Street Journal.