Sitemap - 2025 - Employer Coverage
Cancer mortality higher for those diagnosed during the pandemic
More adults 45-49 are being screened for colorectal cancer
GLP-1 Prescribing Is Rising — But Not Equally Across Populations
Obesity rate has fallen (slightly)
Weekend Longforms: AI chatbots, drug costs, and peer-to-peer review
Administration announces deal to lower GLP-1 prices
The US lags in savings from biosimilar medications
Offering cardiac CT scans as preventive service does not appear to save lives
Updated Evidence for Covid-19, RSV, and Influenza Vaccines for 2025–2026
Medicare Advantage plan members less likely to have cancer surgery at high quality hospitals
Unnecessary back surgery is common and expensive
GLP-1 prevention of heart disease is independent of weight loss
KFF: Family plan premiums rise 6% to almost $27,000 annually
Weekend Longforms: Alzheimer's gene, pharmacy costs, KFF employer survey, and GLP-1s for all
Friday Shorts: Preventive care denials, flu and COVID shots, obesity and marijuana
Specialists employed by hospitals and private equity have higher allowable fees
GLP-1 drugs likely to be helpful for additional indications
Immunotherapy dramatically decreased metastatic melanoma mortality
The high cost of childbirth in the U.S.
Weekend Longforms: Parkinson’s Disease
Cell and gene therapy restrictions in commercial plans
Ambulatory surgery centers cost less than hospital OPDs
Most of those who had first heart attacks had multiple risk factors
Those diagnosed with breast cancer who missed their last mammogram have worse outcomes
Weekend Longforms: Health policy research, Trump Rx and digital health
Friday Shorts: HPV vaccine leads to herd immunity and BMI as a measure of obesity
Reasons to doubt an epidemic of cancer in those under 50
Self-testing for HPV is cost-effective for cervical cancer screening
The decline in vaccine-preventable illnesses in the U.S.
Bariatric surgery is less expensive than GLP-1 medications
Friday Shorts: A trio of studies with negative findings
GLP-1s for adolescents and those being treated with antipsychotic medications
Hospital cost from firearms injury is over $1.6 billion annually
Could Lower Doses of Immunotherapy Cut Cancer Costs?
High-Markup Hospitals Linked to Worse Surgical Outcomes
Weekend Longform: AI physicians, screwworms and fertility treatment
Friday Shorts: Access to narcan and MAT, doulas and gene therapy for Huntington's Disease
Bariatric surgery is (a bit) more cost-effective than GLP-1s for knee arthritis
Peterson Health Technology Institute evaluates digital opioid use therapy
Opportunities to improve treatment of those with opioid use disorder
The battle over newborn hepatitis B vaccination
Saturday Longforms: Mental health denial, AI agent team, AI chatbot and psychosis
Friday Shorts: Economics and effectiveness of vaccines and acupuncture for low back pain
New study shows that GLP-1 use is associated with lower cancer risk
Employers face a confusing fall vaccination season
New data provides support for prostate cancer screening
Friday Shorts: Exchange increases, vaccination and colorectal cancer survival and exercise
Colorectal cancer screening rates have increased in those ages 45-49
Childhood mortality in the US exceeds that of other developed countries, and is getting worse
Reports that lithium can prevent or treat dementia are premature
Extensions of drug market exclusivity cost employer plans billions
What does it mean when AI “beats” physicians in solving challenging case studies?
Cancer immunotherapy leads to longer survival in those who are insured
Saturday Longforms: Polio, job losses, and trouble at the FDA
Ophthalmology commercial prices vary enormously
Real-time drug price information didn’t change physician prescription patterns
Potential impact of Budget Bill (HR1) on employer-sponsored health insurance
Supreme Court affirms cost waiving requirement for preventive care.
Thursday Shorts: Dialysis cost, HPV vaccine, and PE-owned gastroenterologists
Health care costs predicted to exceed $8 trillion by 2033
Excess mortality in the U.S. is concentrated in those with lower levels of educational attainment
FDA approves a new injection to protect against HIV infection for six months
Friday Shorts: Vaccination meeting, trans needs, preventing ovarian cancer, and drug ODs
Hemophilia gene therapy results at 13 years
Vaccines and monoclonal antibodies associated with dramatic decrease in infant RSV hospitalizations
Navigation program improves cancer screening and follow-up
Peterson Institute releases its report on virtual programs for depression and anxiety
Friday Shorts: Pharmacogenomic testing, vaccines and medical debt and marketplace premiums
Results of decreasing the age of colonoscopy screening to 45
Impact of state gun laws on pediatric deaths
What we can learn from reporting on denials in Medicare Advantage plans
Legislation filed to eliminate cost sharing for maternity services
Saturday Longforms: Young people with cancer, myeloma potential cure, and Medicare Advantage
Americans are less sedentary than in 2018, but there is plenty of room for improvement
Should employers encourage more prostate cancer screening?
Exercise leads to better survival after colorectal cancer
Claims analysis shows impact of increased use of GLP-1s
Friday Shorts: Student loan defaults, robotic surgery, and home cervical cancer screening
Death rates declined less in the U.S. than other developed countries
What new guidelines for COVID-19 vaccinations mean for employers
Impact of 340b pharmacy discounts on employer-sponsored health plans
Increase in uninsured could impact employer-sponsored health insurance
Less invasive therapy is effective for early cervical cancer
US drug overdose death rates declined in 2024
First baby treated with new gene therapy
Declines in vaccination rate could lead to millions of cases of preventable disease
HDHPs are associated with less chronic disease care
Tirzepatide causes more weight loss than semaglutide
Pharmaceutical prices in the U.S. are high compared to other developed countries
Medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder improves maternal and infant outcomes
Immunotherapy is highly effective in some solid tumors
GLP-1 drugs highly effective in treating liver disease
GLP-1 drugs , like most medical care, do not lower medical costs
Surprising lack of disparity in use of digital care
New oral GLP-1 drug looks promising in clinical trial (By Patricia Toro, MD MPH)
Vaccine misinformation on the rise
Better blood pressure control decreased cases of dementia
Colorectal cancer screening saves lives
How should we think about the cost of cancer screening?
Arbitration in the No Surprises Act leads to higher prices
Vaccination impact on childhood infectious disease
The fallacy of future medical cost savings
Friday Shorts: Taxes on employer insurance, GLP-1s and dementia, small business health insurance
Measles continues to spread, and two deaths reported from whooping cough
Over one-quarter of patients receive bills for physician portal responses
New report shows mortality associated with childbirth
Supreme Court to hear preventive medicine case today
Two articles help explain anger at insurers
Thursday Shorts: GLP-1, smartwatches, discrimination, fluoride and breast cancer screening
Controlling blood pressure in midlife increases life expectancy
Heart disease risks are higher in rural communities
Shingles vaccine associated with decrease in dementia
Tariffs could fuel further medical inflation
Friday Shorts: GLP-1, HPV and heart disease, high risk surgery, vitamin A
Hospitals with inclusive policies had less nurse burnout
Primary care recovers (a little) in national residency match
Employment and wages in health care rose substantially since 1980
Bariatric surgery leads to substantial decreases in medical spending
Friday Shorts: GLP-1s, transgender care, measles and food insecurity
Inflation pharmacy rebates could save employers billions
Automated insulin delivery beat standard insulin in Type 2 Diabetes
GLP-1 anti-obesity medicines remain too expensive
Friday Shorts: Annual HIV prevention,C-Section, CT radiation, surgical complications and coffee
Provider consolidation drives up anesthesia prices
Lactation support improves newborn outcomes
Job-based health coverage unaffordable for many
Women pay billions more in out-of-pocket drug costs than men (by Patricia Toro, MD MPH)
Breast and colorectal cancer screening rates have rebounded
Some reflections on the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic
The prevalence of medical borrowing is high
Diabetes control worsened from 2013-2023
Workers express both fear and excitement about AI
Rural-urban and racial disparities in cervical cancer persist
Increased health insurance costs lead to lower employee wages
Primary care scorecard demonstrates serious challenges
Thursday Shorts: RSV vaccine, doxypep, rural surgery, and exchange subsidies
FDA says that the GLP-1 shortage is over
Spinal steroid injections often don’t help back pain
High cost of newly approved drugs hitting employers and patients
Friday Shorts: Flu, NIH cuts, gene therapy companies in trouble, GLP-1s and obesity
Study shows wide variation in utilization and total cost of medical care
The potential impact of tariffs on medical costs
Medicare to shut down its VBID program
Maternal mortality dropped in 2023, but not for Black women
Cuts in NIH “indirect” funding could have substantial impact on hospitals and research
Heart health worsening in the U.S.
Insurer medical loss ratios are high
Many patients discontinue and reinitiate GLP-1 drugs
Access to adult primary care is deteriorating
Influenza rates are the highest in over a decade
Friday Shorts: Telemed, home testing, cancer screening, AI, and digital nudges
Executive orders are disrupting transgender care
Student loan repayments could decrease employee financial wellbeing
Survey shows that employers focus mostly on finances when evaluating health plans
Federal report shows that many plans do not offer mental health parity
Shorts: Norovirus vaccine, hernia size, soda tax, thyroid cancer and more
Obesity treatment can reverse liver disease
Bird flu continues to spread in birds and cattle
A “polypill” could prevent cardiovascular disease
New data shows frequency of insurance denials
Shorts and Follow ups including AI and RSV vaccine
Study confirms hospital consolidation associated with higher unit costs
Cancer deaths continue to decline
FIT tests were more cost effective than blood tests for colorectal cancer screening
Large study shows benefits and harms of GLP-1s in people with diabetes
Shorts: Pedi vaccinations, sterilizations,gender affirming care and preventive care requirement
Alcohol is one of many substances that can cause cancer
Carriers earn more profit on self- insured products
Winter surge of respiratory and GI viral infections
California wildfires will have a large impact on health and health care costs
Infectious disease will continue to pose serious risks
Mental health and substance use will continue to require employer attention
Climate change will adversely impact health and increase health care costs
Artificial intelligence will continue to advance in health care administration and delivery
Regulation and policy changes could reshape employer-sponsored health insurance in 2025 and beyond
Employers and health systems will continue to face labor shortages in 2025
2025 Forecast: Medical costs will continue to rise
Clean indoor air can increase creativity
Kindness is highly valued by givers and receivers, and is contagious