February healthcare news update:
Major drugmakers push back in U.S. price debate READ
With a backlash brewing over the price of medicines in the United States, drugmakers are pushing back with a new message: Most people don’t pay retail
California’s four largest health plans could owe state $10 billion in back taxes READ
California’s four largest health plans may be on the hook for $10 billion in state back taxes — and at least $1 billion every year going forward — if a closely watched legal case does not break their way. Should that happen, insurance industry critics say, it would end one of the biggest tax code abuses in state history — one that for decades has allowed Kaiser Permanente, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California and Health Net to avoid paying a state tax on health insurance premiums.
Zika virus, explained in 6 charts and maps READ
In January, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a first-of-its-kind travel alert: American women of childbearing age, whether pregnant or not, were told to avoid countries where the Zika virus has been circulating. At the same time, women in countries that already have Zika outbreaks have been told to avoid getting pregnant.
Information provided by David Stott, MedBridge Senior Contracts Consultant.