CA Urges Insurers to Make Things Easier for LA Wildfire Victims California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara (D) issued a notice to residential property insurance companies in the state urging them to go beyond their legal obligation and pay policyholders affected...
Legislative Backlash Against AI Regulation A bill introduced in Montana ( SB 212 ) and a proposed constitutional amendment in New Hampshire ( CACR 6 ) would establish a right to compute, guaranteeing access to the hardware, software, networks and algorithms needed...
More PBM Regulation Under Consideration in IA After passing pharmacy benefit manager regulations last year, Iowa lawmakers are considering a pair of bills ( HSB 99 and SSB 1074 ) that would require all prescription drug contracts to use a pass-through pricing...
In late September, California became one of the first states to establish some ground rules for the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare when Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law AB 3030 and SB 1120 . The first of those bills, by Sen. Josh Becker (D...
IN Senate Passes Under-16 Social Media Ban Indiana’s Senate passed a bill ( SB 11 ) that would prohibit social media companies from allowing those under the age of 16 from accessing their platforms without parental consent. A provision that would have allowed...
Bipartisan Bill to Ban Noncompete Clauses Introduced in OH Ohio Sens. Bill Blessing (R) and Bill DeMora (D) have introduced legislation ( SB 11 ) that would ban employers from enforcing noncompete clauses in worker contracts. Blessing said the bill was likely...
Lawsuit Accuses GoodRX, PBMs of Price-Fixing A proposed class action lawsuit filed in federal court in California alleges online prescription drug price comparison platform GoodRx and several pharmacy benefit managers, including CVS Caremark and Express Scripts...
The wildfires in Los Angeles this month have done more than just upended lives and destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of property . They’ve also wreaked havoc with an insurance market that was already precariously situated, as we reported in July...
NY to Weigh AI Companion Chatbot Liability New York Assemblyman Clyde Vanel (D) is drafting a bill that would make developers of AI companion chatbots liable for harm those chatbots cause to minors. The first-in-the-nation proposal comes after a 14-year-old chatbot...
AR Looks to Bar PBMs from Owning Pharmacies Arkansas Rep. Jeremiah Moore (R) has introduced a bill ( HB 1150 ) that would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from owning pharmacies. Moore said the noncompetitive practice raises drug prices. ( ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT...
Just five months ago , we wrote about state legislators’ growing interest in pharmacy benefit managers . The issue is vital, as pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs, contract with health insurers and employers to manage the prescription drug benefits...
Cost of LA Wildfires Could Reach $150B J.P. Morgan said last week that insured losses from the wind-driven wildfires in Los Angeles could reach $10 billion, according to reporting by Reuters. AccuWeather initially estimated the total damage and economic loss...
More Kids’ Online Safety Measures Expected in 2025 Despite legal challenges that have blocked new state laws aimed at protecting kids from the potential harms of social media from taking effect, lawmakers in multiple states, including Indiana, Nevada, New...
New MA Law Increases Oversight of Private Equity Investment in Healthcare Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) signed a bill ( HB 5159 ) expanding oversight of private equity investment in the healthcare sector. The law is the first in the nation to ban “sale...
Just a couple of weeks into the new year, state legislators appear to be watching and waiting to see how things shake out with the new Trump administration. But despite the uncertainty, one issue— as expected —has already emerged as a priority in...