In 2022, there were about 22 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in the United States. That’s the highest rate of maternal deaths among high-income nations worldwide. That sobering statistic seems to have caught the attention of policymakers across...
Two years ago, California enacted first-of-its-kind legislation allowing residents to demand that data brokers delete the personal information the brokers have collected about them. Known as the California Delete Act, SB 362 , by Sen. Josh Becker (D), provided...
The days of simply setting a price for goods or services and waiting for customers to accept it are gone. Thanks to predictive pricing , businesses of all sorts can now use data analytics, machine learning and algorithms to anticipate market demand and adjust prices...
While artificial intelligence has been lauded the world over for its potentially transformative impact on, well, just about everything , state legislators across the country have been concerned about its potential for harm , especially in the workplace . New...
On January 1, North Dakota became the first state in the U.S. to cover weight-loss drugs through the Affordable Care Act. The expanded coverage is part of the state’s first update to its essential health benefit benchmark plan since the ACA was implemented...
State-level politicians across the country appear to be growing concerned about private equity investing in healthcare. Over the past two years, legislators in Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico and New York have passed laws to bring greater transparency to healthcare...
Expect a lot of activity at the state level on insurance issues in 2025, so says attorney Karen C. Yotis , content manager for insurance on the Practical Guidance team for LexisNexis®. We asked Yotis, a frequent contributor to State Net® Capitol Journal™...
These are heady days for enthusiasts of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and digital assets. President Trump has declared himself the “ crypto president ,” unleashing a surge of crypto-friendly proposals at the state and federal levels at a time...
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...
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...
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...
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...
A year ago, when we published our annual forecast of the top issues likely to come before state legislators in the new year, we wrote that the world was full of “ uncertainty and tension ” headed into 2024, citing “Wars in Israel and the Ukraine...
The financial services company Payactiv offers wage earners an enticing pitch. “Live the life you earned,” reads a headline on the company’s homepage. “With Payactiv, you can access your wages as you earn them before payday...” ...
Nearly 16 years after it was made available to the public, bitcoin is poised for its biggest moments yet in 2025. Thanks to growing acceptance among regulators, businesspeople and political leaders, the cryptocurrency just reached a major milestone by topping...