What We’re Reading: Amazon Drone Medication Deliveries; Inflation on Health Insurance; Mental Health Proposal Opposition

Amazon Tests Drone Deliveries for Prescriptions

Amazon is testing a new drone delivery service in College Station, Texas, allowing customers to receive prescription medications within an hour of ordering, according to The Associated Press. The Prime Air division has been piloting drone deliveries of common household items since December in College Station and Lockeford, California, and the service is expanding into prescription deliveries based on customer demand. Amazon aims to speed up health care access by reducing the time between diagnosis and treatment, which can be especially beneficial for acute illnesses.

US Family Insurance Plans See Highest Rate Increase in a Decade

The presence of inflation is being felt in the health insurance sector, according to USA Today. The average cost of family health insurance plans provided through employers surged by 7% in 2023 to $23,968, marking the highest rate increase in a decade, according to a survey from KFF. Insurance costs for individuals also rose by 7%, to $8435. With more than 150 million Americans obtaining health insurance through their workplaces, higher prices could lead to larger paycheck deductions for employees, exacerbating the impact of inflation.

Insurers, Employers Oppose Biden's Mental Health Care Proposal

The Biden administration's recent proposal to enhance coverage of mental and behavioral health care is facing opposition and pushback by insurers and employers, according to Axios. The proposal aims to strengthen enforcement of a 2008 law mandating insurers to provide mental health services at the same level as they do physical health care services. However, health care payers argue that some elements of the plan, including a new formula to assess the limitations on access to mental health care, are overly burdensome and may lead them to reconsider the scope of their mental health benefits.