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After enough Democrats caved this week and agreed to fund the federal government without guarantees for extending healthcare subsidies for tens of millions of Americans, a big question on the minds of many is Will my health insurance premiums go up? Unfortunately, the answer is likely to be a resounding yes, according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), the nonprofit health research institute. Heres how much more individuals and families of four can expect to pay for their healthcare premiums in 2026, unless Republicans decide to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax creditssomething the majority of GOP congresspeople have repeatedly said they have no plans to do. Why are healthcare premiums likely to rise in 2026? Yesterday, eight Democratic and independent senators who are not up for reelection in the midterms next year voted to support a Republican Senate resolution that would fund the federal government and thus end the longest U.S. government shutdown in history. However, the agreement did not include the primary thing that Democrats had been holding out for: an extension of the Affordable Care Acts (ACA) expiring enhanced premium tax credits. This is a credit that millions of Americans received from the federal government to help pay for the cost of Americas expensive healthcare premiums. As part of the deal to reopen the government, the Senate Democrats got the Republicans to agree to a vote on extending healthcare credits before the end of the year. But that is hardly a concession, as with the government now looking set to reopen (the House still has to vote), Democrats have no leverage over their Republican counterparts to compel them to vote in favor of the tax credit extension. Without the extension of the tax credits, tens of millions of Americans will pay more for their health insurance in 2026and in many cases a lot more. The increased financial burden will significantly affect already cash-strapped Americans. How much more the average American will have to pay for their already costly healthcare will depend on their income level. How much health insurance premiums will rise for individuals According to KFF data, individuals can expect to pay up to $1,836 more per year for their healthcare premiums. Heres how that breaks down by income level: $18,000 (115% of the Federal Poverty Level): $378 more $22,000 (141% FPL): $794 more $28,000 (179% FPL): $1,238 $35,000 (224% FPL): $1,582 $45,000 (288% FPL): $1,836 $55,000 (351% FPL): $1,469 $65,000 (415% FPL): Varies How much health insurance premiums will rise for a family of four The dollar amount increases for families of four are even worse, according to KFF. Families of four can expect to pay up to $3,735 more per year: $40,000 (124% FPL): $840 more $45,000 (140% FPL): $1,607 $55,000 (171% FPL): $2,404 $75,000 (233% FPL): $3,368 $90,000 (280% FPL): $3,735 $110,000 (342% FPL): $3,201 $130,000 (404% FPL): Varies As KFF notes in its report, In other words, expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits is estimated to more than double what subsidized enrollees currently pay annually for premiumsa 114% increase from an average of $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026. Non-ACA health insurance premiums will likely rise Its not just the ACA. Americans with employer-based health insurance will likely also see their premiums increase in 2026. According to an NPR report, many employees could see their paycheck deductions for employer-sponsored health care plans surge by 6% to 7% in 2026. Unfortunately, this should come as little surprise, as employer-based healthcare premiums have been surging for more than 25 yearsfar outpacing the rate of inflation. As NPR noted, in 1999, the average employer-sponsored health insurance plan for a family of four had a premium cost of $5,791. By 2024, that premium had skyrocketed to $25,572a 342% increase. Public opinion overwhelmingly supports ACA tax credit extension A KFF poll published on November 6 found that Americans on both sides of the political spectrum support extending the enhanced premium tax credits, including 94% of Democrats, 76% of independents, and 50% of Republicans. Even 44% of MAGA supporters support the tax credit extension. That number jumps higher among Republicans who dont identify as MAGA, with 72% of non-MAGA supporters among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents supporting the extension of credits. Politicians in Congress will have to answer to those same voters come the midterms next year, when many Americans will be feeling the impact of higher premiums.
Category:
E-Commerce
To the uninitiated, the term Scope 3 might sound like an obscure technical label. However, for those managing corporate carbon emissions, the term can inspire a range of emotions, from dread to dismay. Scope 3 emissions are generated by indirect upstream and downstream operations, and typically account for the largest share of a companys carbon footprint. They also lie outside the organizations direct control. Although one of the sustainability agenda’s most daunting items, technology can provide solutions to the Scope 3 challenge. There’s mounting pressure to tackle these emissions, as institutional investors such as pension funds pay close attention to the climate footprint of their portfolio’s companies. Better-informed consumers seek out more sustainable choices and reward those choices with shifted brand loyalty. And around the world, governments are tightening regulations on emissions levels and climate disclosure requirements. The elusive, indirect nature of Scope 3 emissions Because they are indirect, Scope 3 emissions are extremely difficult to capture, analyze, and report on. These emissions are generated by everything from the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing, logistics, and distribution. They’re emitted during customers use of products and the processes needed to reuse, recycle, or dispose of items. Without the right software and systems, measuring and managing these emissions means engaging with hundreds of supply chain partners, each with different data formats and methods of carbon footprint accounting. It’s time-consuming and can lead to inaccuracies. Many supply chain operators struggle to integrate emissions and waste data into their own systems, much less those of suppliers and customers. While supplier surveys are one way to collect supply chain data, survey fatigue is a significant concern. Supplier data is often unreliable or backward-looking and cannot be used to inform real-time sustainability decisions, minimize future emissions, or design strategies that accelerate progress toward sustainability goals. The turn to tech Fortunately, there are solutionsand technology plays a critical role. A network-based software platform can track and monitor all activities and events across the supply chain, including those from multiple suppliers and customers, in real-time. Here are three ways in which technology can help. 1. AI-driven data management for performance data Using artificial intelligence, procurement and transportation activity data from disparate sources can be consolidated and translated into emissions performance data. This provides the reliable, timely, and accurate information needed to manage and reduce Scope 3 emissions, fulfill sustainability reporting requirements, and optimize supply chain efficiency. Visualizing emissions levels across the supply chain, companies can evaluate trade-offs between sustainability and traditional supply chain performance indicators. In short, carbon efficiency becomes a key factor in decision-making. Supply chain partners also gain a better understanding of their carbon footprint, enabling them to meet their own emissions goals. 2. Network-powered platforms for end-to-end visibility When managing something as complex as Scope 3 emissions, end-to-end supply chain visibility is critical. A network-based software platform achieves this by bringing together data from multiple organizations, enabling carbon emissions modeling and supply chain optimization. This approach enables smarter decisions on everything from raw material sourcing to supplier and distribution partner selection, reducing value-chain energy and waste. Companies work with distribution partners to reduce partially filled or empty trucks and to design more fuel-efficient routes for lower Scope 3 emissions. Companies can select supply-chain partners with the most carbon-efficient operations, equipped to measure and share their emissions data. Identifying carbon hotspotswhether by product type, raw material, or geographic locationenables supply chain element design or reconfiguration to account for emissions levels. 3. Forecasting and returns management technology to reduce waste Scope 3 emissions are embedded in the things companies sell and dont sell. Overproduction and the creation of excess inventory lead to products unsold or in landfills, increasing waste and generating unnecessary energy consumption for manufacturing and transport. Demand forecasting technology enables companies to produce more informed forecasts, allowing them to more accurately predict demand, anticipate fluctuations, and optimize production and inventory management. They’re therefore more likely to meet waste and sustainability goals regulations. Meanwhile, data-driven reverse logistics simplifies the process of retrieving and remerchandising returned goods. These solutions accelerate returning products to the shelf to be sold at full price rather than being discounted or worse, discarded as landfill. Returns processing can also reroute damaged or obsolete returned products into recommerce channels. Seize the decarbonization advantage Operational efficiency in supply chains is all about working with partners, and carbon efficiency is no different. Technology is the connective tissue that, by consolidating data from a wide range of organizationssuppliers, shippers, warehouse operators, retailers, and othersenables smart planning, global coordination at scale, and enhanced supply chain optimization. The task may look daunting, but technology makes it eminently possible to manage Scope 3 emissions. And with supply chain emissions responsible for over 50% of the global total, companies using streamlined data and digital tools to tackle emissions can gain a decarbonization advantage. Not only will the companies meet their sustainability goals, but they’re strategically positioned as a leader in a low-carbon economy. Saskia van Gendt is the chief sustainability officer at Blue Yonder.
Category:
E-Commerce
Major League Baseball said its authorized gaming operators will cap bets on individual pitches at $200 and exclude them from parlays, a day after two Cleveland Guardians were indicted and accused of rigging pitches at the behest of gamblers.MLB said Monday the limits were agreed to by sportsbook operators representing more than 98% of the U.S. betting market. The league said in a statement that pitch-level bets on outcomes of pitch velocity and of balls and strikes “present heightened integrity risks because they focus on one-off events that can be determined by a single player and can be inconsequential to the outcome of the game.”“The risk on these pitch-level markets will be significantly mitigated by this new action targeted at the incentive to engage in misconduct,” the league said. “The creation of a strict bet limit on this type of bet, and the ban on parlaying them, reduces the payout for these markets and the ability to circumvent the new limit.”MLB said the agreement included Bally’s, Bet365, BetMGM, Bet99, Betr, Caesars, Circa, DraftKings, 888, FanDuel, Gamewise, Hard Rock, Intralot, Jack Entertainment, Mojo, Northstar Gaming, Oaklawn, Penn, Pointsbet, Potawatomi, Rush Steet and Underdog.Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted Sunday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches. They were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment says they helped two unnamed gamblers in the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of certain pitches, including some that landed in the dirt.Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game not for anyone and not for anything.” A lawyer for Clase, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client “has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”The U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 was unconstitutional, allowing states to legalize sports betting.Ortiz appeared Monday in federal court in Boston. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell granted Ortiz his release on the condition he surrender his passport, restrict his travel to the Northeast U.S. and post a $500,000 bond, $50,000 of it secured. Ortiz was ordered to avoid contact with anyone who could be viewed as a victim, witness or co-defendant.Last month, more than 30 people, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a takedown of two sprawling gambling operations that authorities said rigged poker games backed by Mafia families and leaked inside information about NBA athletes.Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, issued a statement denying the allegations. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, said in a statement his client is “not a gambler” and “looks forward to winning this fight.” AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB Ronald Blum, AP Baseball Writer
Category:
E-Commerce
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