- Reasons why people don’t sign up for benefits they are entitled to.
- Why steel tariffs are a bad idea.
- Some of the worst scandals at USAID.
- Why has civil service retirement been processed by hand in an abandoned mine for the past 50 years?
- Was colonialism good for the people who got colonized?
- If you don’t spend the money, your HSA can grow to $1 million.
Category: Health Insurance
Man Dies of Asthma Attack After Inhaler Copay Skyrockets
A young man died after the health plan copay on his asthma inhaler was jacked up to beyond what he could afford. This story has made the rounds of the news lately, including The Washington Post (gated). The pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) responsible for the price increase was Optum, owned by… you guessed it, UnitedHealthcare.
WSJ: Insurers Deny 850 Million Claims Annually, 1% are Appealed with 75% Success
The Wall Street Journal reports that health insurers deny 850 million claims a year. The small number of people who appeal often win.
Thursday Links
- Some universities get two-thirds of NIH grant money as “overhead.”
- “Trump should reinstate Obama’s moratorium on risky biological research.”
- Do ultra processed foods cause depression?
- Can weight loss drugs ruin your sex life? (NYT)
- From the time the FDA approves a medical device it takes 5.7 years before Medicare starts paying for it.
- Trump finally deals with the National Straw Crisis.