Bertolini: "You can't hide" from social issues
Former Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini instituted a policy against giving money to politicians with high marks from the National Rifle Association and called up Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., after the shooting in Parkland, Florida to ask him if he had grandchildren.
“I said, I’m really concerned we’re not taking enough action on gun control,’" he told an audience of executives at the WSJ CEO Council this week.
Bertolini said CEOs "can't hide" from social issues and recalled rebuffing a request from some Aetna board members to apologize to President Trump after he criticized the president's response to white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia.
"I will write a letter of resignation if that’s what the board wants," he said. (WSJ)
ACA enrollment is down 11%
Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace is down 11% compared to last year, going into the final days of open enrollment.
In the first five weeks, about 3.2 million people have signed up, which is down from 3.6 million during the same period last year. In week five, 773,000 people signed up for plans, down from 823,000 last year. 224,000 of those were new customers and nearly 550,000 were renewing coverage. (Snapshot)
Walgreens partners with FedEx for next-day prescription delivery
Walgreens inked a new partnership with FedEx this week to offer next-day shipping on prescriptions in a move to compete with Amazon following its acquisition of PillPack.
Customers can get a text from Walgreens to alert them when their prescription is ready and then select an option to have it delivered. Walgreens top competitor, CVS, announced a similar approach last year, with same-day delivery in cities like New York and San Francisco. Next-day delivery will cost Walgreens customers $4.99, while same-day fees will vary. (Business Insider)
Gallup poll shows ACA dips back below 50%
A Gallup poll released last week shows less than half of Americans approve of the Affordable Care Act.
The law's popularity came in at 48% approval, down from a record-high 55% in April 2017. Forty-seven percent disapprove of the law.
Approval fell along party lines. Currently, 65% of Republicans want the law repealed, down from 71% in 2016. A quarter of Republicans want the law changed but no repealed. Meanwhile, 82% of Democrats approve of the law. (Gallup).
NH approved for work requirements
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved a waiver to implement Medicaid work requirements in New Hampshire.
Work requirements will begin no sooner than Jan. 1, and beneficiaries will be required to participate in 100 hours of community engagement activities a month, with some exemptions. (Letter)