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17+ min ago (319+ words) People with Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance may lose access to in-network care at Ascension Seton facilities in the Austin area on Jan. 1 if the two entities do not agree on a new contract before that time. The negotiations also apply to Ascension Providence facilities in Waco. Some insurance holders in the Austin area received a postcard from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas alerting them to the upcoming deadline. "We're working hard to reach an agreement, but if we don't, Ascension hospitals will no longer be in your network as of Jan. 1, 2026," read the notice, dated. Dec. 1. The contract negotiations center on the insurer's hospital and facility agreements with Ascension. If a deal is not struck, patients with coverage through commercial BCBSTX policies would be affected, as would those enrolled in BCBSTX Medicare Advantage plans or Affordable Care…...

38+ min ago (338+ words) December 8, 2025 / 6:55 PM CST / CBS Minnesota The federal and state crackdowns on fraud in Minnesota are creating collateral damage in programs aimed at helping people with disabilities. One nonprofit says it is at risk of shutting down because of potential funding pauses. But supporters of the crackdown say it's all necessary to get to the root of schemes that have cost Minnesota taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The latest crackdown is from Dr. Mehmet Oz, the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In a statement on X, Oz said, in part, "Our message to Walz is clear either fix this in 60 days or start looking under your bed for spare change because we are done footing the bill for your incompetence." "We are glad to see CMS affirming the governor's executive action and look forward to continuing…...

1+ hour, 39+ min ago (293+ words) SAINT PAUL, Minn. " The federal agency that runs Medicaid is threatening to withhold payments to Minnesota programs unless the state addresses widespread fraud." The announcement came on social media over the weekend by former TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, who now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Minnesota Department of Human Services has already added restrictions to 14 programs it has deemed high-risk because of fraud. Now they'll have additional oversight from the federal agency. "Our message to Walz is clear: either fix this in 60 days or start looking under your couch for spare change, because we are done footing the bill for your incompetence," Oz said. In October, the state Department of Human Services announced it was withholding payments and auditing what it identified as the 14 highest-risk programs for fraud. In his letter delivered to Governor Walz,…...

2+ hour, 39+ min ago (577+ words) The Affordable Care Act subsidies that help more than 20 million people pay for health insurance are set to expire at the end of the month. Congress is running out of time to prevent steep premium hikes across the country, and families who rely on marketplace coverage face growing uncertainty while political leaders argue over what to do next. Inside Congress, Republicans are split. Some want new income limits and other restrictions on the subsidies. Others are pushing broader overhauls built around individual health spending accounts and different benefit structures. Negotiations were jolted when word leaked that the White House had considered a temporary extension framework, only for the plan to be shelved after conservative backlash. Moderate Republicans say any serious proposal must have the president's backing. "The president has got to sign whatever we do, otherwise it is a legislative…...

2+ hour, 40+ min ago (293+ words) SAINT PAUL, Minn. " The federal agency that runs Medicaid is threatening to withhold payments to Minnesota programs unless the state addresses widespread fraud." The announcement came on social media over the weekend by former TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, who now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Minnesota Department of Human Services has already added restrictions to 14 programs it has deemed high-risk because of fraud. Now they'll have additional oversight from the federal agency. "Our message to Walz is clear: either fix this in 60 days or start looking under your couch for spare change, because we are done footing the bill for your incompetence," Oz said. In October, the state Department of Human Services announced it was withholding payments and auditing what it identified as the 14 highest-risk programs for fraud. In his letter delivered to Governor Walz,…...

3+ hour, 12+ min ago (256+ words) CHARLESTON, W.Va. " It was no simple process for the Kanawha County Ambulance Authority and Highmark Blue/Cross/BlueShield to make a deal. It was announced last week that the two had finally reached a contract agreement on Highmark's reimbursements for ambulance services. Prior to the agreement, KCEAA announced that it was going to cancel its contract with Highmark altogether once the prior contract expired on January 1, 2026. This would have made those with Highmark BlueCross/BlueShield pay out of pocket for ambulance services going forward. KCEAA spokesman Tom Susman said discussions picked up once the notice of cancellation was given. "We kind of went back and forth for about a month and a half and finally came to an agreement," he continued. Susman says it was not always pretty, but the two sides came to a good enough compromise. "We're fine....

3+ hour, 13+ min ago (17+ words) Prospects dim for extension of Obamacare tax credits "I just want a fair chance at life....

3+ hour, 25+ min ago (424+ words) By ALI SWENSON and NICKY FORSTER, Associated Press Seen at face value, the data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services seems to defy predictions that many Americans facing pricier plans would drop out of marketplace coverage altogether next year. But experts caution that the numbers are an incomplete snapshot of total enrollment, which could still show a decline by the end of the open enrollment period. "Overall, it's just too early to know what any of this means," said Jason Levitis, a senior fellow in the health policy division at the Urban Institute. The data released Friday shows that by day 29 of the window for Americans to shop for Affordable Care Act plans this year, nearly 5.8 million people had picked one. That's nearly 400,000 more enrollments than by day 30 of the open enrollment period last year. In most states,…...

3+ hour, 25+ min ago (424+ words) By ALI SWENSON and NICKY FORSTER, Associated Press Seen at face value, the data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services seems to defy predictions that many Americans facing pricier plans would drop out of marketplace coverage altogether next year. But experts caution that the numbers are an incomplete snapshot of total enrollment, which could still show a decline by the end of the open enrollment period. "Overall, it's just too early to know what any of this means," said Jason Levitis, a senior fellow in the health policy division at the Urban Institute. The data released Friday shows that by day 29 of the window for Americans to shop for Affordable Care Act plans this year, nearly 5.8 million people had picked one. That's nearly 400,000 more enrollments than by day 30 of the open enrollment period last year. In most states,…...

3+ hour, 25+ min ago (424+ words) By ALI SWENSON and NICKY FORSTER, Associated Press Seen at face value, the data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services seems to defy predictions that many Americans facing pricier plans would drop out of marketplace coverage altogether next year. But experts caution that the numbers are an incomplete snapshot of total enrollment, which could still show a decline by the end of the open enrollment period. "Overall, it's just too early to know what any of this means," said Jason Levitis, a senior fellow in the health policy division at the Urban Institute. The data released Friday shows that by day 29 of the window for Americans to shop for Affordable Care Act plans this year, nearly 5.8 million people had picked one. That's nearly 400,000 more enrollments than by day 30 of the open enrollment period last year. In most states,…...