Big health insurers are taking steps to make it easier for people to get the care they need. UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health's Aetna, and many others are working to cut down on the hassle of prior authorization. This is the process where insurers need to approve medical care, prescriptions, or services before they cover them. Insurers say they do this to control costs ...
Massachusetts is facing a significant challenge with health insurance costs. In 2026, eight major health insurers proposed an average rate increase of 13. 4% for individuals and small businesses in the "merged market. " This segment includes around 721, 400 people, excluding government-run programs like Medicare and Medicaid, as well as plans for larger companies. T...
The link between severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and various factors is well-documented. These factors include the mother's background, the hospital where she delivers, and where she lives. However, the role these factors play in racial disparities within different insurance groups is not well understood. The focus is on Georgia, where data from 2016 to 2020 was anal...
The insurance industry in the US is under attack. Cybercriminals have successfully breached Aflac, a major player in the insurance world. This incident is part of a wider trend of hacking attempts targeting insurance companies. Aflac, known for its significant customer base and substantial annual revenue, is the latest high-profile victim in this digital onslaught. T...
In recent years, health insurance providers have been quietly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) to manage your healthcare claims. These AI systems are not just about speeding up processes; they're making crucial decisions about what treatments get covered and how much care you're entitled to. This shift has raised eyebrows, especially when it comes to something c...
Many people rely on Obamacare for health coverage. This includes folks like Josefina Muralles, who lives in Miami. She works part-time at night and takes care of her family during the day. Her family includes her three kids, her aging mother, and her brother, who is paralyzed. Her brother, Rodrigo, needs constant care because he has epilepsy and got COVID-19 in 2020....
Older folks in China are getting a boost from Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI). This is a big deal because it affects how well they live and age. The insurance has been rolling out since 2012. It's not perfect, but it's making a difference. The impact of LTCI on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been studied using data from CHARLS. This data helps measure ho...
A significant bill is moving through Congress. It aims to cut taxes by $3. 75 trillion. However, it could increase the deficit by $2. 4 trillion over the next ten years. This is according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO is a nonpartisan group that analyzes the budget. The bill could also lead to 10. 9 million more people being uninsured by 2034. Th...
A man from Southern California is in Chicago. He is waiting for a double-lung transplant. This man is Deron Wells. He has stage 4 lung cancer. He has been fighting for months to get this transplant. His health insurance company made things hard for him. They denied his coverage. This fight got a lot of attention online. It was a tough battle. He had to fly from Lo...
In 2025, a bold statement about Medicaid fraud spread rapidly across social media platforms. The claim was that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had uncovered 8 million individuals fraudulently enrolled in Medicaid. This claim was backed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , the U. S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. However, the claim lacked concrete evide...