News

Arkansas Bans PBMs from Owning Pharmacies, Escalating Scrutiny of Vertical Integration in Pharmacy Distribution By Rahul Rao May 29, 2025   In a first-of-its-kind move, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has enacted legislation prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) from owning or operating pharmacies within the state. The law—Act 624—takes effect on January 1, 2026, and […]

Oregon Law Lets Physicians Control Decisions About Care By Carl Smith June 23, 2025  

US health care is rife with high costs and deep inequities, and that’s no accident – a public health historian explains how the system was shaped to serve profit and politicians By Zachary W. Schulz June 6, 2025   A few years ago, a student in my history of public health course asked why her

Republicans Are Turning on Medicare Advantage By Wendell Potter June 17, 2025   UnitedHealth Group and the other insurance giants running the Medicare Advantage (MA) program might want to start paying attention to something they haven’t worried much about before: growing skepticism from Republicans.   Until recently, efforts to reform MA — a privatized version

Trump administration gives personal data of immigrant Medicaid enrollees to deportation officials By Kimberly Kindy and Amanda Seitz June 14, 2025   WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration this week provided deportation officials with personal data — including the immigration status — on millions of Medicaid enrollees, a move that could make it easier

COVID Guidelines Just Changed. Black Americans Could Pay the Price By Angela Dennis June 9, 2025   The Trump administration has declared an end to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant people, and health experts have a warning: This is a threat to Black communities.   U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

Wall Street To Insurers: Keep Denying Care By Katya Schwenk June 6, 2025   A health care industry giant’s Wall Street overlords just admitted that the company’s sky-high health insurance coverage denial rates reaped them enormous profits — and to keep the money flowing, they’re suing to stop the insurer from approving more patient care.

UnitedHealth faces federal scrutiny into whistleblower claims By Joseph Gedeon and George Joseph June 10, 2025   US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are raising concerns and seeking investigations in the wake of Guardian reporting on whistleblower claims about practices within UnitedHealth Group’s nursing home partnership programs.   One US senator has announced

The Pharma Puppets Keeping Your Drug Prices High By Helen Santoro May 22, 2025   At least six organizations that claim to champion patient rights have deep financial and operational ties to Big Pharma and work to advance corporate profits. These industry front groups routinely lobby in line with the pharmaceutical industry’s priorities, challenge drug

The Real Medicaid Fraud? Pretending That Work Requirements Work By Wendell Potter May 29, 2025   As Congress moves closer to turning the latest Republican reconciliation bill into law, let’s take a moment to cut through the political talking points and focus on how millions of working Americans will be harmed if the bill is