Annual family premiums for employer-sponsored coverage reached $23,968 in 2023, according to a new KFF survey. Of that family premium total, workers are contributing $6,575 annually.

Amazon Pharmacy is now offering a drone delivery service for prescription medications in College Station, Texas. The service is free and allows patients to receive their medications within 60 minutes.

Ilant Health launched out of stealth Tuesday. The company serves employers and payers and helps identify patients in need of obesity treatment and matches them to the care best for them.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is currently used to treat severe mental health conditions. But there is evidence it could help with prevention as well, and more research needs to be done on this, said Sherry Rais, CEO and co-founder of Enthea.

In this episode, we discuss SCAN Health Plan’s recent launch of SCAN Inspired, a Medicare Advantage plan designed for women.

Noom is now offering Noom Med to employers. The program is intended for patients who need more clinical support in their weight loss journey. It offers access to a clinician and medications, including GLP-1s.

Cancer and pharmacy services are driving up costs for employers. One Mercer exec recently laid out several recommendations for employers to manage these costs.

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage is increasing, but the program has been drawing scrutiny from the government. Can the program be saved? One expert believes Medicare Advantage is a failed experiment. Another thinks that while the program has its flaws, it shows tremendous potential.

Spring Health and Highmark Health are collaborating to launch Mental Well-Being, a solution that offers therapy, medication and other services for some Highmark members.

Endless digital health solutions have emerged over the last few years. But eventually, they’ll have to consolidate — and that’s part of the cycle, investors said during a panel discussion on Sunday.

Blue Shield of California recently switched up its pharmacy benefit model by distributing responsibilities to several different vendors. The model has the potential to increase drug costs, but it remains to be seen, according to Creagh Milford, SVP of retail health at CVS Health.

Ounce’s $5.2 million in seed funding was co-led by Meridian Street Capital and Flare Capital and included participation from Chelsea Clinton’s Metrodora Ventures, Wilshire Lane Capital, Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta and Unite Us Co-founder Taylor Justice.

Through a partnership with Mount Sinai Solutions, Instacart is offering post-operative and post-partum patients a grocery stipend. Instacart is also launching co-branded Medicare Advantage plans with Alignment Healthcare that address food insecurity issues for seniors.

Cigna recently agreed to pay $172 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. One expert said this is just a small part of the problem, while another called for more clarity from the government.

ICHRAs provide employees with more choice on their health benefits. But many employers aren’t very familiar with the new insurance model, executives say.

A new survey shows that women want more comprehensive medical support, solutions that treat their specific health concerns, access to a doctor who identifies the root cause of their symptoms and better care management services.

Solera Health recently launched HALO, a platform that allows payers and employers to manage both Solera point solution partners and non-Solera point solutions in one place.

A new J.D. Power report found that CVS ranks highest for telehealth satisfaction among direct-to-consumer companies, while UnitedHealthcare ranks highest among payers.

A new PitchBook report listed several predictions for digital health companies in regards to weight loss drugs, including the potential for new weight loss startups and possible challenges for existing nutrition companies.

In a value-based partnership with ApolloMed, SCAN is launching a Provider Specific Plan called Compass. It is also announcing a Medicare Advantage plan designed for women called SCAN Inspired.

Midi Health’s Series A funding round was led by Google Ventures. In total, Midi Health has raised $40 million, including from Felicis, Semper Virens, Icon, 25M and Operator Collective. The company offers virtual care for those going through perimenopause or menopause.

New York, Florida, Texas and Minnesota terminated Medicaid coverage for some enrollees for “unallowable or potentially unallowable reasons” during the Covid-19 public health emergency, according to a recent Office of Inspector General report.

Through a new partnership, Vori Health will be able to refer its patients who report having an opioid addiction to Ophelia. On the flip side, Ophelia can refer its patients who report having MSK pain to Vori Health for non-opioid treatment.

As a combined entity, Virgin Pulse and HealthComp will serve more than 1,000 self-insured employers and more than 20 million members. New Mountain Capital will be the majority owner.

Evvy’s $14 million funding round was led by Left Lane Capital and included participation from General Catalyst, LabCorp Venture Fund, RH Capital, Ingeborg Investments, G9 Ventures, Virtue and Amboy Street Ventures. In total, Evvy has raised $19 million. 

The average monthly plan premium for Medicare Advantage is expected to increase only slightly in 2024 from 2023, CMS said. About 73% of beneficiaries will see no increase at all.

Costco is partnering with Sesame to offer Costco Members discounted pricing on virtual health services, including primary care and mental health. But the move is a little different from other retailers like CVS Health and Walgreens.

A new study found that MA beneficiaries have more than 50% fewer inpatient stays and 22% fewer emergency department visits than traditional Medicare enrollees.

Issues around healthcare affordability, mental health challenges and worsening chronic conditions are all top of mind for Ellen Kelsay, president and CEO of Business Group on Health.

There are concerns that Medicare Advantage TV ads are misleading patients. A new KFF analysis of Medicare Advantage TV ads found that the ads often rely on celebrity endorsements and suggest that seniors are missing out on benefits that they’re entitled to.