Author: Eliz

(RNS) — Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, health care “sharing ministries” sprang up as more affordable options to the policies offered by national insurance companies for the Obamacare marketplace. Often developed by Christian organizations, the sharing ministries had the further advantage of being exempted from ACA’s mandates on contraception and abortion. Small religious communities were told they could cover their members while preserving their moral principles.

The sharing ministries are not health insurance, though critics say they are often billed as such. Rather, they are cooperatives in which consumers pool their money to help each other through medical emergencies. While they have existed for decades, enrollment in these programs has been estimated to grow from about 100,000 members in 2010 to 1.5 million members in 2020.

Now US Rep. Jared Huffman, the congressman for much of California’s Bay Area, is going after what he calls

Sept 7 (Reuters) – Walmart (WMT.N) and healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N) are planning to team up to provide preventive care for people aged 65 and up, and virtual healthcare services for all age groups, the companies said on Wednesday.

The 10-year partnership represents Walmart’s latest push into healthcare and could help the retail giant better compete with CVS Health (CVS.N) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O).

Walmart’s clinics could get a boost of new customers from UnitedHealth’s Medicare Advantage members, while UnitedHealth gains access to the largest US retailer’s footprint and a venue to enroll more people, Evercore ISI analysts Mike Newshel and Elizabeth Anderson said in a research note.

Walgreens last October invested $5.2 billion in primary-care provider VillageMD, which has more than 200 locations across 15 markets.

Walmart’s effort with

Have you completed your biometric health screening (or the alternative training) and health risk assessment yet? Don’t miss your chance to save on health insurance in 2023.

Employees who will be covered by an MCPS-provided medical insurance plan in 2023 through Cigna* or Kaiser Permanente can reduce their contributions to health insurance next year by participating in the Wellness Initiatives program. To participate, complete a biometric health screening or the Wellness Initiatives: Biometrics Credit Alternative 2023 Benefit Year training (Course #90899) on Professional Development Online (PDO), by Oct. 7, 2022. For employees who do, MCPS will pay 1 percent more of the total cost of health insurance (medical, prescription, dental and vision) in 2023—reducing the employee’s contribution by 1 percent. Likewise, if you complete your medical insurance plan’s online health risk assessment by Oct. 7, 2022, you can save an additional 1 percent on health insurance in 2023.

For