Employee-Paid

ERISA requires health plans to have unambiguous rules for coverage and exclusion of gender-affirming benefits, however, many health plans deny care under otherwise valid exclusions, for example, cosmetic procedures.

The agency is exploring if the companies that broker drug purchases for hospitals, along with the drug distributors, are pushing the prices of generics so low that they've made it hard for manufacturers to maintain production.

Nearly half of those who said they were very concerned about cost ended up not having the procedure done.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) recently announced that about half of the $1.4 billion amount came from enforcement actions ($844.7 million) and 30% came from informal complaint resolutions ($444.1 million).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made "historic strides" in making health care and prescription drugs affordable, said Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, who updated stakeholders about CMS's accomplishments.

In January, the Biden administration pledged to increase public access to Medicare information to conduct research studies that can influence public health reforms, but this week the CMS announced a proposal to diminish access.