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The reason so many Medicaid recipients failed to comply with the Arkansas work requirement may be as simple as this: They didn’t consider the benefits worth the effort. Yet, a study by the Buckeye Institute found that people who favorably respond to work requirements will earn far more—in some cases nearly $1 million more—over the course of a lifetime than those who remain on Medicaid and don’t increase their work efforts.

The Trump administration is rolling out the policy specifics for a central promise in its plan to lower drug prices—taking on the system’s middlemen. HHS Secretary Azar has long had his eye on PBMs and the rebates that are their bread and butter. HHS has proposed to essentially ban those rebates in Medicare and Medicaid, forcing PBMs to collect a flat fee for their work.

The federal government now finances 90% of the cost of Medicaid expansion, but that doesn’t make it free. A recent report found that Medicaid represents about 29.7% of total state spending in fiscal year 2018. In 2008 it was 20.5%. These numbers will continue to grow, sucking up more of our limited funds.  Thanks to a…

President Trump spoke out on Wednesday against surprise medical bills, highlighting an issue that has received bipartisan concern in Congress. “The health care system too often harms people with some unfair surprises … medical bills and the like,” Trump said. “We’re going to stop all of it, and it’s very important to me,” Trump added. Sen. Bill Cassidy…

Price controls prevent drug companies from even having a chance to profit, thus destroying the incentive to invest.  Developing a new prescription drug is an extremely risky endeavor, typically taking up to 15 years and $2.6 billion. The failure rate is extremely high; about 9-in-10 experimental drugs that enter clinical trials never receive regulatory approval.…

Short-term plans can be purchased at any time, unlike other plans available on the individual market which restrict enrollment to open enrollment periods or following a life-changing event. Coverage usually begins within a few days compared to other medical coverage that can take several weeks to begin. Because short-term plans are not subject to all of the same federal regulations as plans in the individual market, premiums are far more affordable and insurers can offer more customized choices.

“Medicare-for-all” makes a good first impression, but support plunges when people are asked if they’d pay higher taxes or put up with treatment delays to get it. A new poll found that Americans initially support “Medicare-for-all,” 56% to 42%. However, those numbers shifted dramatically when people were asked about the potential impact, pro and con.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is laying out her strategy on health care and first up is improvements to “Obamacare” and legislation to lower prescription drug costs. “Medicare for all” will get hearings. Pelosi and President Donald Trump have been sounding similar themes about the need to address the high drug costs. But her plans to…

The Trump administration approved Arizona’s request to attach work requirements to Medicaid coverage, making it the eighth state to condition benefits on seeking a job, going to school or otherwise engaging in the community. Enrolled members of federally recognized Indian tribes — who noted their sovereignty — will be exempt from the rules, which will…

In its proposed notice of benefit and payment parameters for ACA exchanges in 2020, CMS proposed reducing the exchange user fee that is charged to health insurers to fund the health insurance exchanges. That would help lower premiums in 2020, the agency said.