WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Automated pharmacy notifications prompt patients with chronic conditions to refill prescriptions before a forecasted natural disaster, a new study by CVS Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finds. CVS said the research also affirmed that public-private partnerships can aid pharmacy outreach as part of community-based natural disaster
WASHINGTON — Premiums for health plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act will rise sharply next year, and insurer defections in some states will leave consumers with substantially fewer coverage options, the federal government reported. Premiums will increase, on average, 25% for mid-level plans on the federal health insurance exchange, according to the Department of
Several recent reports help illuminate the state of the nation’s health care reform efforts by examining progress under major aspects of the Affordable Care Act. President Obama signed the legislation into law in March 2010 with three overarching objectives — establishing new protections for health care consumers, enhancing access to care, and improving quality while
WASHINGTON — The government vows to conduct an extensive outreach initiative during the Affordable Care Act’s upcoming open enrollment period in an attempt to enroll millions of eligible but difficult-to-reach Americans who have yet to sign up for health insurance. “Those who are still uninsured are going to be a bigger challenge,” Department of Health
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health is making an online health tool developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) available via the CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic websites. Called myhealthfinder, the tool provides recommendations from government-recognized clinical experts for preventive care services — many available at MinuteClinic and CVS/pharmacy — based on patients’ age and
WASHINGTON — Some 13% of people who enrolled in health insurance plans this year under the Affordable Care Act have lost coverage, many because they failed to pay their share of premiums, the Obama administration reported. The number of people on the rolls as of March 31 stood at 10.2 million, down from the 11.7
WASHINGTON — The federal government is looking into the effect of generic drug price increases on Medicaid. The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will compare generic price increases between 2005 and 2014 to the inflation rate. The probe comes in response to questions raised about generics
WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network, a public-private initiative to foster the adoption of value-based health care models. Rite Aid, Walgreens and Walmart are among the network’s more than 2,800 participants, which include payers, providers, states, consumer groups and employers. The
A column in the metro New York newspaper Newsday illustrates the type of scenario that the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network, announced last week by the Department of Health and Human Services, is targeting in its efforts to promote health payment models based on the quality and efficacy of care, rather than the
Although the Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama five years ago and the major provisions of the legislation took effect at the beginning of 2014, health care reform remains a highly contentious work in progress. Two recent reports provide some indications about the ACA’s success to date in achieving its primary
WASHINGTON — Marilyn Tavenner is resigning as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She will step down at the end of this month, she told CMS staff members in an e-mail. Principal deputy administrator Andrew Slavitt, who joined the agency last year to help fix HealthCare.gov, will be the acting administrator. Department of
WASHINGTON — Nearly 6.5 million consumers selected a health insurance plan or were automatically reenrolled under the Affordable Care Act in November and December. And 87% of people who selected 2015 plans through HealthCare.gov in the first month of open enrollment are getting subsidies to lower premiums, the government reported. “We’re pleased that nationwide, millions of
