Population Health
WellCare is a provider of managed care services for government-sponsored healthcare programs; CVS health is the nation's second-largest PBM company, and will administer pharmacy benefits and process claims for about 3.8 million WellCare members who participate in the company's nationwide Medicare, Medicaid and Prescription Drug Plan programs.
A nonprofit specializing in financial assistance for underinsured Americans has opened a new fund to provide help to Medicare patients suffering from renal cell carcinoma. It is the second fund launched this month by the HealthWell Foundation, an independent organization which provides a financial safety net for more than 200,000 underinsured patients by facilitating access to otherwise unaffordable medical treatments.
The neurostimulation devices market was valued at more than $5 billion globally in 2014, and that number is only expected to grow, with annual increases of 12.7 percent forecasted from now until 2020, said New York City-based P&S Market Research in findings released Monday.
Men are getting more screening colonoscopies since the health law reduced how much Medicare beneficiaries pay out of pocket for the preventive tests, a recent study found. The change, however, didn't affect women's rates.
Close to 6 million people selected plans through Healthcare.gov, a marked increase over last year when an estimated 3.4 million signed up, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That includes a notable uptick in enrollment for those under 35.
WellCare Health Plans, Inc., a managed care service provider for government-sponsored healthcare programs, is enhancing their Medicaid benefits in Kentucky by offering several new programs aimed at preventative health, the company announced through a statement. The new benefits take effect January 1, 2016.
Hospitals in Pennsylvania have saved close to $700 million in last few years by cutting down on readmission rates and preventing unnecessary hospitalizations, according to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.
Despite advice to shop around before selecting a plan, consumers may find that getting answers about drug coverage can be an exercise in frustration, despite a federal health law requirement that insurers provide lists of the prescription medications included in their plans.
The group ColoradoCareYES gathered enough signatures -- more than 100,000 -- to put a single-payer health system on the ballot next fall.
Thursday's announcement by Kaiser Permanente that it plans to open its own medical school in Southern California has attracted a lot of attention in the healthcare community.