Health Beat: 11.3 million individuals sign up for Obamacare through health insurance marketplaces

Editor’s note: Each Wednesday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Health Beat,” a round-up of health-related topics.

11.3 MILLION INDIVIDUALS SIGN UP FOR OBAMACARE THROUGH HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACES: According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 11.3 million people are signed up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplaces in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. That includes 8.6 million people (76%) in the 38 states that use the HealthCare.gov platform through Jan. 2, 2016 and 2.7 million people (24%) in the remaining 13 state-based marketplaces through Dec. 26, 2015.

The report, for the first time, includes data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia for the third open enrollment period. It also includes demographic and state-level breakdowns. Open enrollment ends Jan. 31, 2016. For coverage starting on Feb. 1, people must sign up by the Jan. 15 deadline. To read the report and see state level tables, visit here.

PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE PRICE INDEX SHOWS SOARING COSTS FOR ALL DRUG CATEGORIES: Amidst increasing consumer concerns and mounting scrutiny from lawmakers, a new report indicates prescription drug prices rose 10.43% in 2015 – continuing to squeeze American household budgets and adding fuel to the debate surrounding soaring healthcare costs. The figures were released as part of the OneRx National Drug Index, a survey by New York healthcare startup Truveris that measures the average price of prescription drugs.

Calculations showed prices increased across drug categories, similar to figures reported last year, with branded drugs up 14.77%, specialty drugs up 9.21% and even generic drugs rising 2.93%. While prices rose across nearly all therapeutic classes, certain conditions fared worse than others. Across composite calculations of brand, generic and specialty drugs, notable rises included: symptoms of menopause (33.87%); gout (33.15%); and erectile dysfunction (20.06%).

HHS AND USDA RELEASE NEW DIETARY GUIDELINES TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY EATING: Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently released updated nutritional guidelines that encourage Americans to adopt a series of science-based recommendations to improve how they eat to reduce obesity and prevent chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The guidelines are available here.