Healthcare Spending

How Massachusetts’ Benchmark Impacted Healthcare Cost Growth

by Victoria Bailey

Massachusetts’ statewide benchmark for healthcare cost growth has generally helped curb increases in healthcare spending, but its influence has dwindled over time due to poor accountability...

Community Health Plans Lowered Consumer Healthcare Spending in 2022

by Kelsey Waddill

Alliance of Community Health Plan (ACHP) payers have secured lower healthcare spending for members in 2022 through premium adjustments, efforts related to prescription drug pricing, and more, according...

Employers Juggle High Healthcare Spending, Hiring Challenges in 2022

by Kelsey Waddill

Employers are looking for answers as they face an ever-steeper healthcare spending trajectory and hiring challenges in the post-pandemic environment, according to a survey from the National Alliance of...

2022 Employee Contributions Trends in Employer Sponsored Health Plans

by Kelsey Waddill

Annual family 2022 premiums will average $22,463, with employees in employer sponsored health plans contributing on average $6,106, the annual Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Employer Health Benefits...

Dialysis Triples Healthcare Spending for Members with Chronic Diseases

by Kelsey Waddill

Dialysis increased monthly spending for privately-covered members with chronic diseases by approximately 292 percent, according to a study published in JAMA Open Network. The researchers drew their...

How End of PHE Will Impact Consumer COVID-19 Healthcare Spending By Coverage Type

by Kelsey Waddill

Federal funding was crucial in enhancing access to coronavirus resources during the initial phases of the pandemic, but questions remain about what will occur when the public health emergency ends and...

AHA: CBO Report Inaccurately Assessed Commercial Insurance Premium Drivers

by Kelsey Waddill

The American Hospital Association (AHA) found that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) did not accurately portray health insurance premium drivers, specifically that the office neglected to...

Blue Cross Blue Shield Expands Benefits for Federal Employees

by Kelsey Waddill

Members of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) will have lower premiums for dental and...

Businesses Struggle to Meet Employer Sponsored Health Plan Expectations

by Victoria Bailey

As businesses struggle to cover the costs of employer-sponsored health plans, employees want better options and more control over their coverage choices, according to an eHealth survey. eHealth...

Uninsurance, High Deductible Plans Linked to Greater Medical Debt

by Victoria Bailey

The prevalence of medical debt may be tied to health insurance coverage status, as uninsured individuals and those with private high-deductible health plans were more likely to have more medical debt,...

NC Hospitals Propose to Fund Medicaid Expansion, Reform CON Laws

by Victoria Bailey

The North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) has submitted a proposal to lawmakers that aims to overcome the stall in negotiations and pass Medicaid expansion. The proposal was delivered to Senate...

Employer Sponsored Health Plan Costs Expected to Increase in 2023

by Victoria Bailey

As employer-sponsored health plan costs are expected to rise over the next three years, employers plan to implement new programs and policies to improve affordability, according to a survey from Willis...

Alzheimer’s Risk Adjustment Increases Detection, Medicare Spending

by Victoria Bailey

Incorporating Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs) into risk adjustment for Medicare Advantage and Medicare accountable care organizations...

Consumers Seek Transparency Around Treatment Costs, Healthcare Deals

by Kelsey Waddill

Consumers voiced their support for more transparency around healthcare costs and deals, with three-quarters of respondents supporting protections against site-based treatment cost increases in an AHIP...

Large Employers Aim to Redirect Healthcare Spending, Boost Quality

by Victoria Bailey

Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH) has announced a series of goals to help large employers redirect healthcare spending and improve care quality for its members over the next five...

Concerns about Cost of Healthcare Supersede COVID-19 Concerns in MA

by Kelsey Waddill

The cost of healthcare is more concerning than the risks of the coronavirus pandemic for Massachusetts residents, according to a poll commissioned by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue...

Most of Premium Dollar Used for Prescription Drugs, Medical Services

by Victoria Bailey

Almost 83 cents of the average healthcare premium dollar goes towards prescription drugs and medical services, including inpatient and outpatient costs, emergency room costs, and doctor visits,...

Trends in 2021 Employer Sponsored Health Plan Costs, Coverage

by Victoria Bailey

Employer-sponsored health plan costs rose in 2021, but access to employer-sponsored insurance also increased as more private-sector businesses offered coverage, according to a report from the State...

Medicare Advantage Plan Quality Varies by Premium Cost

by Victoria Bailey

Premium costs may not always be representative of Medicare Advantage plan quality, as high-quality plans were found at every premium level, a study published in JAMA Health Forum found. Healthcare...

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