Arkansas passes law banning PBMs from owning pharmacies

The law in particular will affect CVS and UnitedHealth, both of which operate physical pharmacies in the state along with specialty and mail-order pharmacy businesses.

Dr. Oz sworn in as CMS administrator

During a ceremony at the Oval Office, Mehmet Oz said he would focus on reducing chronic disease, “modernizing” Medicare and Medicaid, and targeting fraud, waste and abuse in government insurance offerings.

Elevance brushes off fears of spiking Medicare Advantage costs

Investors balked last week after UnitedHealth reported first-quarter MA utilization grew at twice its expected rate. Yet Elevance said spending was in line with expectations, a development one analyst called surprising.

Budget draft outlines Trump’s plan to slash federal health programs

An OMB document proposes to cut the HHS budget by roughly one-third as well as eliminate several divisions and programs.

UnitedHealth posts ‘unacceptable’ first quarter, slashes 2025 guidance

The healthcare juggernaut’s results came in unusually below Wall Street’s expectations and caused its stock to plummet Thursday. The development bodes ill for the rest of the managed care sector, analysts said.

CMS rejects Humana’s Medicare Advantage star ratings appeal

The decision, which Humana disclosed in a Tuesday filing with the court overseeing its lawsuit against the HHS, will be reviewed by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the new CMS administrator.

Obamacare health plan problem-solvers axed in HHS layoffs