Health Headlines for Thursday, February 2
Anthem CEO uncertain about 2018 Obamacare participation
Reuters
Anthem Inc said on Wednesday that it might stop selling individual plans on the Obamacare exchanges in 2018 unless the U.S. government tightens enrollment and eligibility rules to better balance sick and healthy customers.
Demand grows for long-acting contraceptives, Planned Parenthood says
Politico
There has been a spike in the number of women in New York opting to receive long-acting reversible contraceptives, like intrauterine devices, since Donald Trump’s election as president, according to Planned Parenthood.
BlueCross BlueShield of WNY drops preapproval on some services
Buffalo News
BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York today announced it will lift the prior authorization requirement for 212 services, meaning doctors and patients will no longer need the insurer’s approval in those cases.
Company making life-saving opioid antidote jacks price from $690 to $4,500
New York Daily News
The maker of a life-saving antidote for opioid overdoses has jacked its price from $690 to $4,500 in less than three years — the latest sky-high price hike to shake the pharmaceutical industry.
U.S. proposes 0.25 percent hike in Medicare Advantage payments
Reuters
The U.S. government on Wednesday proposed an increase of 0.25 percent on average in payments to health insurers who offer Medicare Advantage insurance, which provides health benefits to more than 18 million elderly or disabled people.