Back to Home

Insurance & Payors

Expert articles and analysis related to insurance & payors.

20 articles‱Last 7 Days

AI Summary — Last 7 Days

In the past week, tensions regarding care accessibility have intensified, particularly with rising concerns over prior authorization processes that may disrupt patient care, as seen in a Massachusetts case where approvals delayed necessary prescriptions. Concurrently, the Trump administration's health leadership, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS, has faced mounting pressure to address the financial strain on older adults due to the expiration of enhanced ACA premium tax credits, which disproportionately affects those aged 50 to 64. Notably, these issues are compounded by the rising costs associated with hospital care in the ACA market, as reported by Aetna, which has prompted discussions around the effectiveness and pricing strategies of commercial payers, impacting overall care delivery models in value-based care systems.

Related Articles

70ALN

White Paper: Coverage and Utilization Management Trends in the Commercial Market, 2016-2025

Read the white paper. Commercial health insurance plans use formulary tiering and utilization management (UM) to manage drug spending and ensure appropriate use of prescription drugs. In tiered formul...

advisory.avalerehealth.comFeb 27, 2026
70ALN

How Will the Loss of Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Affect Older Adults?

Adults ages 50 to 64 are disproportionately affected by the expiration of ACA enhanced premium tax credits because they make up a large number of Marketplace enrollees and premiums rise with age. Our ...

kff.orgFeb 26, 2026
60ALN

Even Patients Are Shocked by the Prices Their Insurers Will Pay — And It Costs All of Us

Health care prices are on the rise, and patients are flummoxed that even insurance companies aren’t doing more to control costs.

kffhealthnews.orgMar 3, 2026
60ALN

To Avoid Care Disruptions, Know When the Clock Runs Out on Your Prior Authorization

A Massachusetts woman knew the medicine her doctor prescribed required preauthorization, but she didn’t realize the approval had an expiration date. It took nearly three weeks of phone calls and paper...

kffhealthnews.orgFeb 27, 2026
60ALN

‘Kind of Morbid’: Health Premiums Threaten Their Nest Egg. A Terminal Diagnosis May Spare It.

Chaz and Jean Franklin were facing a sevenfold increase in their health premium payments with the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans at the end of 2025. Then Jean r...

kffhealthnews.orgFeb 26, 2026
60ALN

New York secures more than $2.5 million from EmblemHealth over ghost networks

EmblemHealth will pay $2.5 million after an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General in the State of New York found the insurer repeatedly failed to ensure New Yorkers could access mental h...

healthcarefinancenews.comFeb 25, 2026
50ALN

Real world experience with insurers pushing back on copay cards

As reported by Kaiser Health News: The value of drugmakers’ copay cards has become more unpredictable as insurers try to restrict their use. Many insurance plans, for instance, do not count the money ...

healthcare-economist.comMar 4, 2026
50ALN

Hasta los pacientes se sorprenden por los precios que sus aseguradoras estĂĄn dispuestas a pagar, un costo que al final pagamos todos

La inflación médica ha superado de manera constante la inflación general durante años, y las facturas de muchos procedimientos breves y de rutina llegan a decenas de miles de dólares.

kffhealthnews.orgMar 3, 2026
50ALN

STAT+: Aetna’s ACA hospital prices, and a new Cigna deal

The health insurer paid higher prices for hospital care than some rivals in the ACA insurance market.

statnews.comMar 2, 2026
50ALN

5 studies scaring ASC leaders

From widening commercial price gaps and declining Medicare surgeon pay, five studies are raising questions about the financial and structural pressures facing ASCs.  The studies quantify shrinking sur...

beckersasc.comFeb 27, 2026