Health-Exchange-Alert

Although President Donald Trump has pledged to make drug companies bid for government business, the White House Council of Economic Advisers said Tuesday (Oct. 23) that Medicare negotiation of drug prices would significantly curtail the invention of new pharmaceuticals.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh asked the Supreme Court to review the state’s law that would give its attorney general authority to sue generic drug manufacturers for “unconscionable” drug price increases, after a Fourth Circuit panel stopped the law from going into effect.

Anthem Inc. Public Policy Director Doug Saunders implored state officials, advocates and stakeholders to consider other options to shore up their local health insurance markets before turning to Medicaid buy-in, cautioning that such a program could hurt both the commercial insurance markets and Medicaid enrollees.

CMS Friday (Oct. 19) revealed that its Direct Enrollment pathway that allows agents and brokers to enroll subsidy-eligible individuals into plans sold through healthcare.gov has been breached, and is now temporarily disabled.

Democrats have exhausted their immediate legislative options to block the expansion of short-term health plans, leaving the upcoming federal court case as the party's best chance to restrict so-called junk insurance policies prior to the midterms or the start of Obamacare open enrollment.

In the weeks leading up to the midterm elections, the Trump administration has seized every opportunity to link the entire Democratic Party to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) Medicare for All proposal, even though the majority of Democratic candidates in the midterms do not support Sanders’ plan.

More than a dozen health care stakeholders recently filed briefs in support of groups that are asking a federal district court to immediately end implementation of the Trump administration’s rule expanding access to short-term health plans.