Trending News Today: Trump Proposes Changes to Affordable Care Act

Yesterday, the Trump administration proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act marketplaces that have gained support from insurers. The new changes will make enrollment stricter, and allow insurers to collect unpaid premiums, according to Reuters. Unfortunately, this makes it more difficult for customers to change plans, and may even increase costs.

In a new lawsuit, Anthem alleges that Cigna sabotaged their merger agreement, and repeatedly attempted to prevent the acquisition, according to Forbes. Anthem is demanding that Cigna pay $13 billion in damages, in addition to the $1.85 billion breakup fee. Although the US District Court ruled against the merger, Anthem is seeking to extend the merger agreement.

A new study has found that certain physicians are 3 times more likely to prescribe opioids than others. Additionally, patients who are treated by high-prescribing physicians are more likely to use the drugs long-term, according to Kaiser Health News. This suggests that physicians may need to reevaluate their prescribing habits and present more unified habits.