White House takes action against short-term ‘junk’ insurance plans and surprise billing

The Biden administration announced plans on Friday to tamp down on "junk" insurance plans and surprise medical fees as part of the "Bidenomics" agenda and its goal of lowering health care costs for Americans.

Through its newly proposed rules, the White House is aiming to crack down on short-term health plans, or "junk plans" as critics refer to them.

Short-term plans are not required to abide by Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections. These less-expensive plans offer...

Judge strikes down Florida Medicaid policy excluding gender-affirming care

A Florida rule excluding gender-affirming health care from Medicaid coverage is unlawful and unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, adding that the policy, which was enacted last year under the administration of Republican Gov. and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, is based on politics rather than medicine.

Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), which controls most of the state’s Medicaid program, in August adopted a rule barring trans...

Obamacare preventive care provision temporarily restored

The measure within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires insurance companies to cover certain preventive care services with no cost-sharing has been restored for the time being after the two parties in the case over its legality struck a deal.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the two parties to reach an agreement last week when discussing a potential stay of a lower court's order that blocked the ACA preventive care provision on the basis that it violated a relig...

Obamacare preventive care provision temporarily restored

The measure within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires insurance companies to cover certain preventive care services with no cost-sharing has been restored for the time being after the two parties in the case over its legality struck a deal.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the two parties to reach an agreement last week when discussing a potential stay of a lower court's order that blocked the ACA preventive care provision on the basis that it violated a relig...

Top Democrats ask health insurers for response to ObamaCare preventive care ruling

Democrats on key House and Senate health committees have requested information from a dozen major health insurance companies and trade groups on how they plan to respond to the ruling from Texas that struck down the preventive services provision in the Affordable Care Act.

The lawmakers sent out letters to major insurance providers including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealth Group. The letters asked whether consumers would experience interruptions in their c...

ACLU sues Indiana over law banning transgender care for youth

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against Indiana for its law that banned all gender-affirming care for minors that was signed by the state’s governor Wednesday, saying the statute violates patient rights.

The national and Indiana state branch of the ACLU filed the suit in a federal court after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed the bill that saw his state join at least 12 others that have restricted or banned such care.

But the lawsuit file...

Five things to know about the Texas ObamaCare ruling

An ObamaCare requirement that health insurance must cover preventive services for free is at risk of ending, after a federal judge in Texas — who previously held that the entire Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional —  invalidated it. 

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor wasn't entirely unexpected, but his decision to impose a nationwide injunction still sent shockwaves through the health system. The preventive services mandate is extremely popular and ending ...

Judge strikes down ObamaCare’s free HIV drugs, cancer screenings

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