Health Headlines for Thursday, August 4
Eight Possible Fates for the Obamacare Exchanges
Bloomberg
A lot’s been happening in the health-care markets. California announced that premiums would rise by an average of 13.2 percent on its exchanges, after years of being one of the standouts for low premium growth.
Here’s What’s Really Making Your Health Insurance Premiums Go Up
Fortune
If you had to point to a super villain in health care right now, it would probably be the pharmaceutical industry and its drug pricing tactics.
Awaiting Cuomo Signature on Step Therapy Bill
Time Warner Cable News
After a big win during the legislative session, patient groups are now calling on Governor Cuomo to sign the step therapy bill.
Humana To Abandon Obamacare Patients In 1,200 U.S. Counties
Forbes
Humana is the latest health insurer to significantly pull back its participation selling subsidized individual coverage under the Affordable Care Act, announcing plans to scale back next year to “no more than 156 counties” across 11 states.
To Fight Zika, Texas Medicaid Will Pay for Mosquito Repellent
Texas Tribune
With federal funding to fight Zika stuck in Congress, and amid news that mosquito-to-human transmission of the virus has reached the continental United States, Texas officials announced on Wednesday they would allow Medicaid to pay for mosquito repellent for women, in the hopes of preventing the disease.