Health/Employee Benefits News

WASHINGTON- The Trump administration will withhold $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid payments from California, Vice President JD Vance announced on Wednesday, saying the state had failed to combat fraud in the public health insurance program. "The state of California has not taken fraud very seriously," Vance said at a White House news conference.

2026 MAY 13– By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News– Research findings on Managed Care are discussed in a new report. According to news originating from Boston, Massachusetts, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated,“ Office-based care coordination programs are increasingly utilizing social work-trained care coordinators to manage…

2026 MAY 13– By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News– Current study results on Drugs and Therapies- Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy have been published. The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health,“ Using different data sources, we provide a preliminary…

Editor's note: Gabriel Bosslet is professor of clinical medicine in the Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Occupational Medicine at Indiana University. He also is president of the Good Trouble Coalition. His column first appeared on The Indiana Capital Chronicle website.

"When shopping for coverage, it is important to use the Health Insurance Marketplace or an insurance agent or company that you have verified is licensed. Only licensed insurance companies and agents are authorized to sell insurance in Michigan, so it is important to verify a company's legitimacy before making a purchase. Michiganders can purchase…

The moratorium will not impact current enrollments, and existing providers can continue to deliver services to Medicare beneficiaries.

The following information was released by Brown University:. A study led by Brown University researchers suggests that expanded health insurance coverage may significantly improve survival and care quality in this high-risk population. Among young adults with kidney failure, the expansion of Medicaid following the Affordable Care Act signed into law in…

Washington Court of Appeals this month revived a legal fight against health insurers' blanket refusals to cover weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. The drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of obesity among other conditions. The recent ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Ellensburg resident Jeannette…

–AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is now $5.03 in Illinois, up from $4.97 on Tuesday. Illinois imposes a fuel tax of 48.3 cents per gallon. The Illinois House Insurance Committee has unanimously passed legislation to expand health insurance coverage that includes rehabilitative and habilitative services for children…

Humana’ s Medicaid managed care plan, Healthy Horizons in Louisiana, has committed more than $1 million in strategic investments to expand access to care, address chronic disease, and strengthen behavioral and maternal health supports across Louisiana. “Louisiana families deserve opportunities for better health— no matter where they live,” said Michelle…

HARTFORD, CT— State officials marked Mental Health Awareness Month Monday by restating Connecticut's commitment to ensuring that health insurers provide their customers with equitable access to mental health treatment Tuesday during a news conference at the state Capitol. Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, Comptroller Sean Scanlon, and state Rep.

More than 40,000 pregnant people in Texas waited more than a month for the state to process their Medicaid applications— which an advocacy group said could delay vital prenatal care. Medicaid covers almost half of all births in Texas— representing more than 185,000 births in 2023. Texas is one of 10 states that hasn't expanded Medicaid to include low-income…

The following information was released by the Minnesota House of Representatives:. However, parents told the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee in March that they were notified by their health insurance providers, some after open enrollment closed for 2026, that they would be limited to 120 home care nursing visits, leaving them to solely care for…

Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. and Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan have introduced the Medicaid Outreach and Assistance for Communities Act of 2026. This month, Louisiana started sending out new Medicaid notices explaining upcoming changes. "Republicans' Big Ugly Law left millions of Americans without clear guidance on how to complete new paperwork and…

May 11— A blanket refusal to cover weight-loss medication like GLP-1s is no longer allowed under Washington state law, an appeals court ruled last week. Many health insurances do not provide coverage to weight-loss medication. In years past, weight-loss drugs have been ineffective and expensive with many side effects.

SPRINGFIELD— Despite precarious finances and declining business and questions about its long-term viability, Mercy Medical Center still discharges more than 7,800 patients and logs 44,000 emergency room visits a year. Scott Lichtenberger, chief operating officer of Baystate Health.“ So if Mercy Medical Center didn’ t exist, Baystate could not absorb, not…

TOPEKA— Kansas state employees can choose between two health insurance companies after the Health Care Commission voted Monday to move forward with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas. Commission members debated whether to choose Aetna, dropping Blue Cross, for the state's health insurance beginning Jan. 1, 2027, to save an estimated $240 million over…

Iowa state auditor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand on Thursday unveiled a new water quality and public health proposal aimed at addressing the state's rising cancer rates, improving water quality, expanding access to health care and lowering costs for Iowans. Sand's proposal includes creating a statewide "dirty water" notification system,…

Mark Farrah Associates, www.markfarrah.com, released a year-end 2025 health insurance segment enrollment update. MFA compared membership between 4th quarter 2025 with 4th quarter 2024 to provide greater insights into enrollment trends for the Individual, Group, ASO, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid insurance segments. As of December 31, 2025,…