14+ hour, 31+ min ago (613+ words) By ALI SWENSON Associated Press U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during the Western Governors" Association meeting Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Scottsdale, Ariz. But the net prices it unveiled for a 30-day supply of each drug are not what Medicare recipients will pay at their pharmacy counters, since those final amounts will depend on each individual"s plan and how much they spend on prescriptions in a given year. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted the deals as part of the administration"s efforts to address affordability concerns among Americans. The Medicare drug negotiation program that made them possible is mandated by law and began under President Joe Biden"s administration. "President Trump directed us to stop at nothing to lower health care costs for the American people," Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday evening. "As we…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (637+ words) Juan Ochoa Chicago Tribune FILE - Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. I remember the knot in my stomach when I had to tell one of my best workers at Miramar Group that we might not be able to keep offering affordable health coverage. He's been with me for years " reliable, hardworking, with two kids. The look on his face said everything: Without decent health insurance, his family is one accident away from financial ruin. That conversation haunts me because I know it's happening across Illinois right now. Families are opening their 2026 insurance renewal letters, and the numbers are devastating. This isn't an abstract policy debate in Washington " it's about real people in my community who are about to lose something they desperately need....

1+ mon, 6+ day ago (303+ words) By ALI SWENSON Associated Press The recall to duty amid the more than three-week-long government shutdown is what's needed to "best serve the American people amid the Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment seasons," the spokesperson said Thursday. It will be paid for by user fees gathered from sharing data with researchers, the agency said. The decision to call the employees back shows how significantly shutting down the government and losing staffing has impacted federal government operations during a crucial season, as millions of Americans are selecting their health insurance plans for next year. CMS provides health coverage to more than 160 million people, according to its website. As their stalemate and the resulting government shutdown continue, the cost of next year's health insurance for many of the 24 million ACA enrollees is still unknown, even with open enrollment beginning in a week....

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (682+ words) Forty Fort council members at Monday's work session. FORTY FORT " Forty Fort's insurance carrier has opted not to renew the borough's police, professional and public officials liability coverage due to a number of reported claims, Borough Manager Bonnie Arnone announced Monday at the council work session. Reading from a notice Forty Fort received from Selective Insurance, which has been its carrier for a number of years, Arnone said the borough was still eligible for a commercial package under a new policy number without the police, professional and public officials liability coverage. However, Arnone said the borough's insurance agent suggested going to a different company entirely in order to keep the insurance packages bundled and secure the best rate. One of the claims listed was a public officials claim that stemmed from a civil lawsuit filed against Fort Forty in July…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (1016+ words) The Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg on July 26, 2023. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) this week released the final Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance rates for 2026. New federal rules on enrollment put in place by the Republican budget bill and Congress's failure to extend enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) before Open Enrollment that begins Nov. 1, has resulted in significant price increases for Pennsylvanians. Without swift action in Washington, Pennsylvania families will face significant increases to their insurance premiums for plan year 2026. PID and Pennie " the state's official health insurance marketplace " have repeatedly urged Congress to extend EPTCs and have sent multiple letters outlining the consequences of inaction on families throughout the Commonwealth. "These increases are higher than in recent years, even after PID's strong rate review process blocked a number of excessive increases that insurers requested," said Pennsylvania Insurance…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (270+ words) DANVILLE " Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) announced its Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage plans for 2026, which includes benefits for members featuring premiums starting as low as $0 per month. DANVILLE " Geisinger Health Plan (GHP) announced its Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage plans for 2026, which includes benefits for members featuring premiums starting as low as $0 per month. The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) began Wednesday and goes through Dec. 7. During this seven-week window, eligible seniors can evaluate and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan for the upcoming year. Medicare Advantage plans help older adults fill health care gaps that traditional Medicare does not cover, such as vision, dental, prescription benefits and long-term care. "Health care should be at the top of everyone's mind " especially for seniors," said Roger van Baaren, Geisinger Health Plan chief sales officer. "Now is the time for older adults to review their…...

1+ mon, 4+ week ago (1010+ words) By TOM MURPHY and MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday in Washington. Albert Bourla, chairman and chief executive officer of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday in Washington, as, from left, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and President Donald Trump, right, look on. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday in Washington. Behind the President are Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, and Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. WASHINGTON " Pfizer has agreed to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid under a deal struck with the…...

2+ mon, 2+ week ago (1155+ words) By Mary Clare Jalonick and Amanda Seitz Associated Press Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., joined at left by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters after meeting about Republican efforts to cut health care spending, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 11. WASHINGTON " There's bipartisan support in Congress for extending tax credits that have made health insurance more affordable for millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic. But the credits are in danger of expiring as Republicans and Democrats clash over how to do it. Some Republicans who have opposed the health care law since it was enacted under President Barack Obama are suddenly open to keeping the tax credits. They acknowledge that many of their constituents could see steep hikes in coverage if the subsidies are allowed to lapse. Still, the two sides are far apart....

3+ mon, 2+ week ago (1047+ words) By Stephen Caruso For Spotlight PA An older couple in the hall of a nursing home in Easton. AP File via Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG " The powerful lobby for Pennsylvania's nursing homes wants to exclude the industry from a bill that would require deeper review when private equity seeks to acquire health care facilities. The proposal passed the state House in June, but the Republican chair of a Senate committee hasn't brought it up for consideration. That lawmaker says negotiations are underway, though his Democratic counterpart has raised concerns that industry pressure will further weaken the legislation. "I don't understand why it's such an issue to review them, where we've gone through great strides to try…...

4+ mon, 2+ week ago (264+ words) Terry Gilliland, MD, president and CEO of Geisinger, on Tuesday notified all Geisinger employees of a "structural transformation" at the Geisinger Health Plan. Christopher Murphy, official spokesperson for Geisinger, said it is expected that most of the affected employees will transition to other jobs within the Geisinger system. He said there are 1,200 total employees in the Geisinger Health Plan department " of which 100 will "transition." "GHP remains committed to provide our members with high quality service and that will not change," Murphy said. "The goal here is to make the GHP sustainable after a very difficult year." Gilliland said GHP has had financial challenges over the last few years, including a $231 million operating loss last year. "While the plan is performing much better this year, it's still operating at a loss," Gilliland said in the email. "GHP is an integral part…...