Policy

A Commonwealth Fund analysis finds employer health premiums and deductibles exceed 10% of income in 19 states, worsening affordability gaps.

PBM reforms, Medicare Advantage trends, TrumpRx launch, and Express Scripts settlement highlight key shifts in drug pricing, coverage, and patient access.

Osama Abdelghany, PharmD, explains how medically integrated dispensing improves oncology workflows, patient access, and outcomes through EMR-driven care.

Medicare Advantage enrollment has increased in the US and Puerto Rico, with a dramatic growth among Puerto Rico beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 acts as a first step in addressing prescription drug pricing challenges related to the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

The postpandemic reinstatement of Medicare’s 3-day rule lengthened hospital stays without affecting SNF use, spending, or short-term outcomes, raising questions about its value.

Medically integrated dispensing improves oncology treatment coordination through EMR-based care, but payer restrictions remain a key barrier.

The authors call for policy reforms that could strengthen patient-provider relationships, support care innovation, and improve quality for Medicare beneficiaries.

First announced in September 2025, the online platform is set to offer access to prescription medications at steep discounts, with potential savings in the millions.

The FTC first sued Express Scripts, CVS Caremark, and Optum in 2024, claiming anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices surrounding insulin.

Clearer definitions, tailored programs and policies, and telestroke care could help close rural stroke care disparities.

Finance Committee leaders propose expanding Medicare negotiation, curbing middlemen, and reinvesting in biomedical innovation as part of a 2026 health care affordability strategy.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 features new language that could change the way that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) operate in the US.

Increasing Medicare Advantage payments for full Medicaid enrollees was not associated with meaningful changes in inpatient or nursing home use.

A spending bill advancing PBM reforms aims to delink Medicare Part D compensation from drug rebates and improve pricing transparency.

Policy strategist Kristi Martin discusses how the Orphan Drug Act reshapes rare disease treatment and drug-pricing challenges.

The Orphan Drug Act revolutionized rare disease treatment, yet rising costs and access issues challenge equitable health care solutions.

The upcoming price negotiations are the third cycle since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022.

AAP’s 2026 immunization schedule continues protection against 18 diseases as the CDC reduces its recommendations to 11.

Experts raise concerns that CDC childhood immunization changes could reduce vaccine uptake and weaken trust in public health guidance.

Minnesota physicians warn ICE activity in hospitals and clinics is deterring care, undermining patient safety, and worsening health outcomes.

CMS’s 2027 proposed MA payment rate increase of .09% falls short of expectations, potentially increasing premiums and reducing benefits for seniors.

With the CDC’s decision to roll back recommendations to vaccinate for several conditions, questions have arisen as to what that may mean in the US.

Almost half of the monthly-updated CDC databases had unexplained pauses in 2025, mostly affecting vaccination data, raising transparency and public health concerns.

A multistakeholder study explores how law enforcement presence in EDs affects survivors of violence and outlines trauma-informed, patient-centered policy solutions.