Employee-Paid

Artificial intelligence could reduce clinicians' administrative work and accelerate drug innovation, but the new technology needs oversight, said lawmakers, who met last week to discuss benefits as well as possible threats of AI.

Of the $3 trillion spent each year on health care in the U.S., 10% to 30% consists of so-called "low-value care" – when doctors order unnecessary X-rays, EKGs, lab tests and antibiotics, according to multiple estimates.

Employees give high marks overall to their voluntary benefits enrollments, but employers and theier benefits advisors may be missing opportunities to increase satisfaction and participation.

The comprehensive new bill, which advanced on Wednesday, would introduce more transparency, such as requiring pharmacies to report medication costs – and would be paired with another PBM bill that passed earlier this year.

The Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover a variety of preventive services without a patient paying out-of-pocket, but it is not uncommon for medical practices to narrowly interpret the term "preventive service."

After lawmakers called for oversight over Medicare Advantage marketing practices three weeks ago, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is now proposing to limit the compensation brokers can receive from insurers.