Read today’s Kaiser Health News
In other news:
About health insurance/insurers
Aetna to exit individual market: Aetna will exit the individual ACA exchange market in 2026, citing continued underperformance.
CVS Health reported its first quarter earnings May 1. On a call with investors, CEO David Joyner said the company determined there is “not a near or long-term pathway for Aetna to materially improve its position in the market.”
How National Medicaid Work Requirements Would Lead to Large-Scale Job Losses, Harm State Economies, and Strain Budgets: Key Findings and Conclusions: Between 4.6 million and 5.2 million adults could lose Medicaid in 2026 if work requirements are imposed, cutting federal funding to states by $33 billion to $46 billion in the first year and $362 billion to $504 billion over a decade. States overall could see a $43 billion to $59 billion reduction in economic activity in 2026; a loss of 322,000 to 449,000 jobs; and a $3.2 billion to $4.4 billion reduction in state and local tax revenues. The DC matching rate reduction would cut $712 million in federal funding in 2026 and lead to 7,300 total jobs lost in DC and neighboring states.
About hospitals and healthcare systems
Spring 2025 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Searchable by hospital and state.
About pharma
25 drugs ranked by 2024 healthcare expenditure FYI
Novartis bolsters renal disease pipeline with $1.7B deal for Regulus: Novartis moved to expand its renal disease portfolio via an agreement to acquire Regulus Therapeutics for up to $1.7 billion, gaining the latter's microRNA therapeutic farabursen. The deal — announced Wednesday — includes $7 per share in cash upfront, or around $800 million, as well as a similarly priced contingent value right (CVR) of about $900 million linked to a regulatory milestone.