Hospitals and insurers are gearing up to battle a Trump administration plan that could require the public disclosure of negotiated prices for medical services, part of an effort to lower U.S. health-care costs.
Democrats, who control the House, immediately announced the budget proposal dead on arrival, and many of its ideas stand little chance of passing Congress. But it lays down a marker that could help chart the political course ahead, albeit a course that sometimes seems at odds with Mr. Trump's own pronouncements.
For every patient Massey Cancer Center has treated so far, Penny Trentham is still waiting for insurers to pay the bills. She isn’t even sure if the hospital is breaking even.
Health Care Service Corp., which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in a handful of states, did not pay any federal taxes in 2018 and received a $1.7 billion tax refund, according to its latest financial report.
Health Care Service Corp. didn't pay a dime in federal taxes in 2018, according to its latest financial report. Instead, the health insurance conglomerate received a $1.7 billion tax refund, which swelled the company's net profit to $4.1 billion. The big picture: As Axios reported last year, the Blue Cross Blue Shield companies were on track to retain huge sums of money in 2018 due to the Republican tax overhaul and the growing profitability of their health plans. HCSC was among the biggest winners.
The Trump administration is considering a rule that would require doctors and hospitals to disclose the rates they negotiate with insurance companies, a step toward establishing something that is sorely wanting in the U.S. health-care market: prices.