Health Care Cost

ACA enrollment drops 21.5% in 2026 after enhanced subsidies end. Deductibles hit record $3786 as enrollees shift to high-deductible bronze plans.

Financial toxicity independently predicts a lower quality of life for patients with HS, with greater disease severity and biologic use driving the strain.

TrumpRx will include more than 600 generic medications; experts say the platform’s impact on high-cost specialty drug affordability may be limited.

Diana Verrilli, MS, of Navista breaks down the regulatory, payer, and cybersecurity pressures threatening community oncology practices—and maps a path forward.

Efficacy and safety top the list for patients and physicians making R/R CLL treatment decisions, yet fewer than 1 in 3 patients felt their doctor fully answered their questions.

Health updates cover abortion pill access, lung care research, pregnancy-linked heart risks, US longevity gaps, and flawed drug adherence metrics.

Patients with IPF hospitalized for CDI had higher mortality, longer stays, and greater costs.

The Supreme Court’s temporary action on mifepristone telehealth access raises new questions about reproductive health policy, autonomy, and care access in the US.

Preoperative acute care costs significantly predicted postoperative costs in Bundled Payments for Care Improvement model year 3 surgeries, suggesting that accounting for preoperative factors may improve bundled payment outcomes.

Fears that the telemedicine boom would send health care costs soaring haven’t been borne out, a major new study finds, and the timing couldn’t be more critical for federal policy makers.

From psychedelics to abortion pills, drug pricing, crisis lines, and cancer care, new policies reshape access—and expose gaps patients still face.

Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir was most likely to be cost-effective among adults aged 18 to 64 years with comorbidities, particularly those with lung disease or immune disorders.

Here is a policy briefing for chief medical officers and managed care leaders on key pressure points about the Medicaid funding cuts.

Their study found cost nudges had minimal effect on clinic selection, as 85% already chose lower-cost tiers, suggesting tiered benefit design works.

Chris Johnson, MBA, discusses how Medicaid incentives and higher primary-care pay can boost preventive pediatric care.

White House projects $600B in savings from MFN drug pricing plan, with major implications for GLP-1 access, Medicaid, and biologics.

Hospitals increasingly pursue integration strategies to contain costs, yet evidence remains limited. This study examines the effects of 3 forms of integration on hospital costs.

Katie Eyes, MSW, reflects on 25 years of the BCBSNC Foundation and, over her 18 years with the organization, its shift toward upstream, systems-level health solutions.

Most surveyed individuals with obesity support lower-cost options for weight maintenance, which would allow better coverage for injectable incretin mimetics for weight management during active weight loss.

Hospital at home is linked to lower mortality and ED use vs inpatient care in Medicare patients.

988 crisis centers face staffing and funding challenges despite rising demand, raising concerns about long-term sustainability.

This study found high out-of-pocket costs for branded diabetes medications in employer-sponsored health plans.

The authors assessed charitable care spending for a 1-month supply of medications at discharge. One-third of the cost was spent on medications for which a more sustainable coverage method exists.

Experts dismantled the assumption that direct-to-patient is a universal affordability solution, offering manufacturers a practical framework for deciding which model is actually right.

Philadelphia oncology leaders tackle gaps in biomarker testing, breast cancer advances, myeloma innovation, and clinical trial equity.