Insurance News
Regulatory updates in plain English
Stay current with the latest from CMS, state departments of insurance, NAIC, the Federal Register, and Congress — rewritten so you can actually understand what it means for your practice.
Quicker responses, more transparency for consumers added to claims process
{ "summary": "Starting October 18, 2026, insurance companies in Washington must respond faster and be more transparent when handling claims. This change affects anyone who files a claim, ensuring they receive timely updates and clear communication about their claims. The new rules set specific tim...
CMS Proposes Reforms to Strengthen Transparency and Affordability in Medicare Advantage and Part D
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed new rules to improve Medicare Advantage and Part D. These changes will make provider directories more accurate, require Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to be transparent about their compensation, and protect low-income Medicare benefic...
Transparency in Coverage Final Rules (CMS 9882-F)
The Department of Health and Human Services has updated the Transparency in Coverage rules to make healthcare pricing information easier to access and understand. Starting October 5, 2026, health plans and insurers must provide clearer and more standardized pricing data for their services. This is a...
Commissioner Lara opens insurance rate review process to unprecedented transparency
The California Department of Insurance has introduced a new process for reviewing insurance rates that aims to be fully transparent. This change affects both personal and commercial insurance lines, allowing consumers to see how insurance companies' rate requests are analyzed before they are approve...
Additional transparency rights coming to insurance consumers in March 2027
Starting in March 2027, insurance companies in Washington will need to explain why they are raising premiums on home and auto policies. They must provide up to three main reasons when customers ask for this information. This rule aims to give consumers more transparency about their insurance costs. ...
Commissioner Lara’s landmark transparency and accountability reforms now in effect, strengthening consumer protections in insurance rate reviews
California's insurance rate review process has been updated to improve transparency and protect consumers. These changes affect everyone involved in insurance, especially policyholders, by making it easier to access information about rate changes and the costs associated with them. The new rules req...
OIC report recommends transparency, modernization for WSRB
The Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner has released a report recommending improvements for the Washington Survey & Rating Bureau (WSRB), which rates fire protection in communities. This affects insurance agents as they rely on WSRB ratings to determine insurance eligibility and pr...
Federal Rule Takes Aim at Health Care Bureaucracy, Reducing Dispute Fees, and Boosting Transparency
A new federal rule has been finalized to improve the process for resolving payment disputes between healthcare providers and insurers, which affects both providers and payers. The changes aim to make the process more efficient and transparent, significantly reducing the administrative fees from $115...
Federal Rule Takes Aim at Saving Taxpayer Dollars, Health Care Bureaucracy Reducing Dispute Fees, and Boosting Transparency
A new federal rule has been introduced to improve the process for resolving payment disputes between healthcare providers and insurers. This change affects both providers and payers by making the dispute resolution process more efficient and transparent, which will help save money for many Americans...
Commissioner Lara unveils intervenor reform regulations to increase transparency and protect consumers’ money
California's Insurance Commissioner, Ricardo Lara, has announced new regulations to improve the process for reviewing insurance rates. These changes aim to make the process more transparent and efficient, ensuring that consumers' money is protected. The updated rules will allow for better public par...
Commissioner Lara advances first overhaul of intervenor process in 35 years to protect consumer dollars and strengthen transparency
The California Department of Insurance is updating the rules for the intervenor process, which helps protect consumer interests during insurance rate reviews. This is the first major change in 35 years, aimed at making the process more transparent and efficient. The new rules will set clear standard...
CMS Proposes New Transparency Measures to Strengthen Oversight of Hospice Providers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is introducing a new scoring system for hospice providers to improve oversight and transparency. This system will help identify hospices that may be misusing Medicare funds or providing poor care, while allowing legitimate providers to continue thei...
CMS Proposes Major Reforms to Speed Up Patient Access to Drugs, Increase Transparency, and Reduce Administrative Burden
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing new rules to speed up how quickly patients can get access to medications. This change affects insurance companies and healthcare providers by requiring them to make decisions on prior authorizations for urgent requests within 24 hours a...
TDI adds auto data to transparency tool showing why policies are declined, canceled, or not renewed
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has updated its website to show why personal auto insurance policies are declined, canceled, or not renewed. This new feature provides Texans with information about the number of insured cars and the reasons behind insurance companies' decisions. This change i...
Transparency in Coverage
New rules have been established to improve price transparency for group health plans and individual health insurance. These changes affect health insurance providers and aim to make pricing information clearer and easier to access for consumers. Key updates include new data requirements for pricing ...
Enhanced Transparency and Public Accountability of the Supervisory Stress Test Models and Scenarios; Modifications to the Capital Planning and Stress Capital Buffer Requirement Rule, Enhanced Prudential Standards Rule, and Regulation LL
The Federal Reserve has made changes to its stress testing rules to improve how these tests are conducted and reported. This affects banks and financial institutions that must comply with these stress tests to ensure they can handle economic downturns. Agents should stay informed about these updates...
TDI launches new transparency tool showing why some home policies are declined, canceled, or not renewed
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has launched a new webpage that helps Texans understand why some home insurance policies are declined, canceled, or not renewed based on their ZIP code. This tool provides important information directly to consumers, including the reasons for policy decisions ...
Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems; and Quality Reporting Programs; Including the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Program; Request for Information on Strengthening the Standardization and Comparability of Hospital Price Transparency (HPT) Data; Prior Authorization; Accrediting Organization (AO) Deeming for Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA); and Notices of Cl
The Medicare program is proposing changes to how hospitals and outpatient surgical centers are paid starting in 2027. This affects healthcare providers who use the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system. The new rules will update...