GOP Worried On Affordability
Some Senate Republicans are worried that the GOP leadership is not doing enough on the affordability issue as the 2026 midterms approach. Right now, the House is almost assuredly going back to the Democrats, while the Senate is favored for the GOP but getting too close for comfort.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-LA, has been urging Republicans to pass a second reconciliation bill to pass additional healthcare measures. President Trump has dismissed the idea of yet another bill, but House Republicans want to pass a second one as well. Lawmakers could still do so over the president’s objections.
#healthcare #coverage #midterms
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5738150-republicans-affordability-midterms
FTC Loses Enhanced Disclosure
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) antitrust rule requiring parties to submit additional information to regulators ahead of a planned merger was overturned by a federal judge. The judge agreed with business interests that the FTC’s rationale that it needed additional information given the increasing volume and complexity of mergers and acquisitions did not take into account the burden on business. The decision was stayed to allow for an appeal.
#ftc #manda #mergers #acquisitions
Wakely Analyzes Medicaid Matters
Actuarial and consulting firm Wakely published a white paper on Medicaid enrollment and profitability from 2019 to 2025. As enrollment was shed recently, profits tanked and went negative recently.
#medicaid #managedcare #margins
https://www.wakely.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Managed-Medicaid-Enrollment-and-Profitability.pdf
WSJ Attacks MedPAC
Of late, The Wall Street Journal has published hard-hitting pieces that have torn apart Medicare Advantage (MA) especially large players like UnitedHealth Group and Humana. The Journal editorial board targeted MedPAC arguing the congressional policy arm is anti-MA and private markets as well as argued the group has been co-opted by big government progressives.
I have taken issues with some of MedPAC’s views over the years, including arguing that its analysis about the size of overpayments are outlandish and skewed. Indeed, they do seem to parallel many academic research positions that seem to have a vendetta against MA and are pro traditional program augmentation. This is not to say that some of MedPAC’s works are not beneficial, just that they do tend to hop on the anti-MA bandwagon often – repeating old claims sometimes with little support. The Journal perhaps goes too far when it declares in its piece: “Even better, defund MedPAC. Why does Washington need one more government health policy shop lobbying for more government control over American healthcare?”
#medpac #medicareadvantage
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/medpac-medicare-advantage-healthcare-congress-1e4eabaf?st=xPCqas
— Marc S. Ryan
