"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota ... announced that access to peer support specialists -- trained individuals with lived experiences who provide support, encouragement and connections to resources for others facing recovery and mental health challenges -- will be a covered benefit starting next year for members enrolled in fully-insured commercial plans.... Blue Cross will be the first non-profit plan in Minnesota offering this benefit to those with employer-offered health insurance as well as to those who purchase Individual and Family coverage on their own."  MORE >>

"The personal information of at least 16,000 Vermont health insurance customers was stolen in a cyberattack in January -- more than twice the number originally reported.... [N]ationwide, the cyberattack affected thousands of organizations and millions of people."  MORE >>

"To receive reimbursement, an employer must document the amounts they paid for SPSL between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. In addition to payroll records, employers will need to submit a signed affidavit attesting to employee count and other information.... The application portal opened on June 1, 2023[.]"  MORE >>

"[A] 65-year-old retiring this year can expect to spend an average of $157,500 in health care and medical expenses throughout retirement. Fidelity's 2023 estimate remains the same as last year, due to expected limits to retiree out of pocket costs for prescription drugs starting in 2025. This is the first time in nearly a decade that the anticipated health care costs for retirees have stayed flat year-over-year."  MORE >>

Video of June 21 hearing, including testimony by: [1] Dr. Gloria Sachdev, Employers" Forum of Indiana; [2] Ms. Christine Monahan, Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms; [3] Ms. Sophia Tripoli, Families USA; [4] Mr. JC Scott, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association; and [5] Mr. Greg Baker, Affirmed Rx.  MORE >>

"One PBM recently disclosed that it had negotiated a very high rebate with Novo Nordisk, but said rebate only applies if a plan sponsor agrees to a wide-open, permissive approach to coverage of the weight-loss medications. If a plan sponsor wants to be more cautious or judicious about the coverage of the drug ... no rebate is payable to the plan sponsor. This kind of a rebate (commission) is a perverse incentive for a PBM to sell the drug and to ignore associated risks and potential harm."  MORE >>