News
Alabama educator health plan faces $380 million shortfall as budget season heats up
4+ hour, 21+ min ago (480+ words) Alabama's public educator health insurance program is heading into the fiscal 2027 budget cycle with a projected $380 million shortfall in that year's health plan funding, creating a significant challenge for lawmakers as they work to finalize the state's Education Trust Fund…...
Alabama business coalition warns: Surge of healthcare mandates will spike premiums for families and employers
1+ day, 9+ hour ago (791+ words) A coalition of Alabama's most powerful business and insurance groups is sounding the alarm over a surge in healthcare mandate legislation this session, warning lawmakers that the cumulative cost of the bills will land squarely on employers and families already…...
TrumpRX could slash drug prices and it makes you wonder why this never happened before
3+ week, 25+ min ago (84+ words) TrumpRX could slash drug prices and it makes you wonder why this never happened before'Yellowhammer News For eons, in Alabama and across this country, prescription drug prices have crushed people. Attempts to rein in bad actors, be they Pharmacy Benefit…...
BCBS of Alabama op-ed: Blue Cross is not the reason for Jackson Hospital’s financial struggles
3+ week, 1+ day ago (715+ words) Dow Briggs, M.D. is the Executive Vice President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. There are many reasons why Jackson Hospital is struggling, but Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama's reimbursement is not why it is in bankruptcy....
Clint Mountain op-ed: Insurance premiums are climbing – but lawsuits aren’t the real cause
1+ mon, 1+ day ago (725+ words) We write today on behalf of the Alabama Association for Justice in response to the recent reporting on the Alabama Department of Insurance's liability insurance claims cost report, which claims rising liability claim severity and large verdicts as factors in…...
Steve Flowers: Healthcare costs are major concern as legislators craft the state budgets
1+ mon, 2+ day ago (307+ words) PEEHIP has kept their costs in line for nearly a decade without asking the legislature or members for more money. However, PEEHIP is facing a shortfall for fiscal year 2026, due to a significant decline in federal funding for educators and…...
Alabama liability insurance claims costs surged as lawsuits and large verdicts increased, report finds
1+ mon, 6+ day ago (395+ words) Rising lawsuits and large jury verdicts are driving up liability insurance costs across Alabama, according to a new Alabama Department of Insurance report that found claim severity has surged far faster than inflation over the past four years. The findings…...
Jackson Hospital blames Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama for its collapse — but the bankruptcy records tell a different story
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (1376+ words) Jackson Hospital & Clinic, Inc. in Montgomery, which bankruptcy filings have described as carrying between $100 million and $500 million in liabilities, filed a lawsuit last week against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, claiming they are to blame for the hospital's…...
Dr. David Albright: Alabama’s rural health plan can work if leaders ensure predictability
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (854+ words) On the edge of a small Alabama town, a hospital administrator studies next year's numbers. She doesn't know how many of her patients will still have insurance come January. The lights are on. The margin isn't. Down the road, a…...
Dr. Daniel Sutter: When government outsources compassion, fraud moves in
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (735+ words) Reporting by Ryan Thorpe and Chris Rufo at City Journal brought attention to the fraud. The investigations have already led to indictments or convictions. The frauds total around $1 billion and have occurred with three separate programs: Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services,…...