Not Just Democrats Anymore. Republicans are Mounting a Crackdown on Big Health Insurers

By Wendell Potter - For years, I’ve worked to expose the ways in which Big Insurance prioritizes profits over patients. And for years, I’ve seen firsthand that concern over corporate abuse in health care is not limited to any one political party. In recent weeks, I’ve had meetings with multiple Republican and Democratic congressional offices in which lawmakers and their staff have expressed deep interest in tackling issues of waste, fraud, and abuse in the health insurance industry. Read Full Article… ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

HVBA Article Summary

1. Bipartisan Scrutiny of Insurer Abuses in Government Programs: Lawmakers from both parties are turning their attention to how major insurers exploit government-funded health programs like Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and VA health services. Tactics such as deceptive risk-scoring and complex billing schemes have allowed insurers to siphon billions from taxpayers while distorting free-market dynamics — prompting a unified push for oversight and reform.

2. Calls for Accountability from Longtime Medicare Advantage Supporters: Even long-standing champions of Medicare Advantage are acknowledging systemic abuse. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recently pressed UnitedHealth Group’s CEO for answers about the company’s role in overbilling, reflecting a growing bipartisan realization that the program is not delivering value as intended and that significant reforms are urgently needed.

3. Growing Momentum to Regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs): In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, lawmakers are targeting PBMs — the insurer-owned middlemen in drug pricing — for their role in driving up costs and putting independent pharmacies out of business. Legislation is gaining traction to curb spread pricing, ban self-dealing practices that steer patients to insurer-owned pharmacies, and restore transparency and competition to the drug supply chain.

Trump signs orders imposing 10% minimum tariff, broader reciprocal tariffs—but exemptions for pharma

By Dave Muoio - President Donald Trump made good on his threat of announcing new and steeper tariffs during a Wednesday afternoon White House event, setting the stage for higher prices and supply chain uncertainty for numerous industries, including healthcare. Read Full Article… 

HVBA Article Summary

1. Historic Tariff Overhaul Targets Trade Deficits: The U.S. has announced a sweeping new tariff policy, marking the end of the free-trade era. A 10% minimum tariff will apply to all countries, with additional, reciprocal tariffs on nations with large trade deficits with the U.S.—including allies like the EU and China. For example, China will face a 34% U.S. import tariff in response to its 67% effective trade barrier.

2. Pharmaceuticals Exempt, But Healthcare Still Braces for Impact: While pharmaceuticals are excluded from the heightened reciprocal tariffs, healthcare stakeholders remain concerned. Medical devices are not exempt, and rising import costs could strain budgets, disrupt supply chains, and potentially reduce access to essential products—especially for providers already operating on thin margins.

3. Industry Warns of Rising Costs and Supply Risks: Healthcare groups and drugmakers are lobbying for more exemptions and a phased rollout, citing risks of shortages and price hikes. A 25% tariff on Canadian drugs alone could add $750 million in annual costs. Experts caution that global drug supply chains—already vulnerable—could be further destabilized, requiring closer monitoring and policy refinement.

Anthem agrees to release more data amid NYC price transparency push

By Rylee Wilson - Anthem Blue Cross has agreed to provide New York City with additional data after city officials claimed they could not provide a complete picture of the city’s healthcare spending. New York City Council Member Julie Menin and Anthem reached an agreement to “release the missing healthcare data that will finally allow the city to save $2 billion a year through our new Healthcare Accountability Office,” according to a March 29 post on X. Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. NYC Health Spending: New York City allocates more than $11 billion each year to provide health benefits for approximately 1.2 million employees, retirees, and their dependents. The majority—about 75%—are enrolled in a preferred provider organization (PPO) plan administered by Anthem Blue Cross.

2. Lack of Cost Transparency: In a report released on March 21, the New York City Health Department stated it was unable to evaluate how much it paid for hospital services in comparison to Medicare rates because Anthem had not shared the necessary pricing data.

3. Anthem’s Response: In a statement to Becker’s, Anthem said it would provide the city with additional data to support a more comprehensive analysis of hospital pricing. The company emphasized its belief in pricing transparency and its intention to continue collaborating with city officials, labor groups, and healthcare providers to explore ways to reduce healthcare costs for NYC employees and their families.

The Hidden Cracks in Healthcare’s Cybersecurity Ecosystem

By Andrew Mahler - In recent years, hospital breaches have dominated headlines and board-level discussions, shining a harsh light on cybersecurity and privacy vulnerabilities within clinical settings. Ransomware attacks targeting hospitals are becoming a daily threat, locking patient records, disrupting care delivery, costing institutions millions, and causing physical harm and death to patients. Yet, these incidents and targets are only the tip of the iceberg. Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. Beyond Hospitals: A Vulnerable Ecosystem: Cybersecurity risks in healthcare extend far beyond hospitals. Medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, insurers, and digital health platforms each present unique vulnerabilities — from unpatched software and lack of encryption to siloed operations and overreliance on third-party vendors. These hidden weak spots create a vast, interconnected attack surface that hackers can exploit, often with severe consequences for patient safety and data security.

2. Consolidation Concentrates Risk: The rapid consolidation of healthcare entities — merging providers, payers, and tech firms — has centralized enormous volumes of sensitive data, creating single points of failure that are irresistible targets for cybercriminals. While consolidation can improve care delivery, it also increases complexity, making it harder to monitor, patch, and secure sprawling IT systems that often include legacy infrastructure and absorbed third-party networks.

3. Reactive Culture Undermines Security: Many healthcare organizations still operate with a reactive mindset toward cybersecurity, addressing issues only after an incident occurs. Common gaps include underdeveloped breach response plans, inadequate third-party oversight, and limited staff training on phishing and password hygiene. To meaningfully strengthen defenses, the industry must adopt a proactive, ecosystem-wide approach — embedding cybersecurity into daily operations, prioritizing preventive measures, and fostering collaboration across all stakeholders.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring: For Insulin Users and Beyond

By Miriam E. Tucker - Emerging evidence points to potential benefits of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) well beyond use as a management tool for people with diabetes who use insulin. Until recently, CGM use had been reserved for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and those with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who use multiple daily doses of insulin. Read Full Article… 

HVBA Article Summary

1. Rising CGM Adoption and Expanding Use Cases: The availability of over-the-counter continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) at lower monthly costs ($75–$99) has boosted adoption in the U.S., with growing interest in their use beyond insulin-treated diabetes — including in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) not using insulin, prediabetes, and even for diagnostic purposes.

2. Potential for Early Intervention and Behavior Change: Experts at the ATTD 2025 conference emphasized CGM’s ability to drive meaningful lifestyle changes by giving real-time glucose feedback. This capability could help delay or prevent the progression to T2D, especially when used in early-stage dysglycemia and normoglycemic obesity, with significant long-term cost-saving potential.

3. Barriers Remain Despite Clinical Promise: While studies show CGM improves glycemic control and may reduce complications even in non–insulin-treated individuals, insurance coverage in the U.S. remains limited. Concerns were raised about affordability, particularly for Medicaid patients, though trends suggest expanding access as evidence of cost-effectiveness continues to grow.

Nearly 10M ‘delinquent’ student loan borrowers will see credit scores drop: Federal Reserve Bank

By Lynn Cavanaugh - President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the Education Department, and limit access to student loan forgiveness, is sparking increased financial stress among student borrowers. Now an estimated 9.7 million student-loan borrowers, who owe more than $250 billion, face a hit to their credit scores as pandemic-era measures to limit the consequences of non-payment fade away, according to Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Research and Statistics Group. Read Full Article… ^{_{(Subscription required)}}

HVBA Article Summary

1. Student Loan Delinquencies Expected to Rise: The New York Fed anticipates student loan delinquencies will surpass pre-pandemic levels, as missed payments begin appearing on credit reports after the January 1 deadline. Over 9 million borrowers may see significant credit score drops in early 2025.

2. SAVE Plan Blocked Amid Legal Challenges: The Biden administration's $475 billion SAVE Plan was halted by a federal appeals court siding with Republican-led states. While broader forgiveness efforts were curtailed, Biden continued targeted debt relief, forgiving $183.6 billion for over 5 million borrowers.

3. Temporary Relief Measures Wind Down: The pandemic-era pause on student loan payments and the 12-month "on-ramp" to protect borrowers’ credit scores are ending. Meanwhile, the Trump administration reopened access to the income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, offering some relief based on income levels.

Trying to attract former federal workers? What HR needs to know

By Jen Colletta - As the new Trump administration continues a massive overhaul of the federal workforce, one of the most significant headlines has been the mass exodus of workers from the federal government—both voluntarily and through terminations and layoffs. According to an analysis by CNN, nearly 106,000 federal workers have involuntarily left since January, on top of more than 75,000 who took a buyout to leave. Read Full Article…

HVBA Article Summary

1. A New Talent Pool Emerges: As federal job cuts continue, a growing number of experienced former federal workers are entering the job market—offering public and private employers a chance to fill critical roles, especially if they recognize and value federal experience, as Pennsylvania is doing.

2. Benefits as a Competitive Edge: To attract these candidates, employers must rethink their benefits strategy. While private-sector packages may lack some of the traditional perks of federal jobs, tailoring offerings around holistic wellbeing—mental health, caregiving, and flexibility—can bridge that gap, especially for younger workers.

3. Technology Enhances the Benefits Experience: Leveraging tech like AI-powered decision tools and personalized platforms not only helps employees better understand and utilize their benefits, but also drives cost savings and frees up HR teams for more strategic initiatives.