Payer: Page 2
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One year, 19M disenrollments: A look at Medicaid redeterminations so far
Threats of fines, procedural errors and more: Here are the major headlines from the past year of states unwinding Medicaid.
By Sydney Halleman • April 2, 2024 -
UnitedHealth CFO John Rex to replace Dirk McMahon as president
McMahon announced earlier this year that he would retire from the healthcare behemoth in April. Rex will step up as president, though there’s no word yet on who will assume McMahon’s chief operating officer role.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 29, 2024 -
Trendline
Social determinants of health
The focus on social determinants of health has only increased because of the impacts of the pandemic, with payers and providers trying to new ways to address the issues.
By Healthcare Dive staff -
Inside CVS Health’s push to transform customer experience
The transformation, led by Deloitte Digital, focused on increasing customer feedback to identify pervasive issues and closing the loop on customer inquiries.
By Kristen Doerer • March 29, 2024 -
Biden administration finalizes rule cracking down on short-term plans
Democrat lawmakers and patient advocacy groups cheered the final rule for protecting patients from the skimpy plans, while free-market advocates slammed it as limiting coverage options for consumers.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 29, 2024 -
CMS streamlines Medicaid, CHIP renewal and enrollment in final rule
It’s the “most robust and meaningful” regulation streamlining Medicaid eligibility since the Affordable Care Act was implemented a decade ago, one lawyer said.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 28, 2024 -
Medicare’s GLP-1 spending is skyrocketing, even without weight loss coverage: KFF
Gross Medicare spending on the pricey drugs rose from $57 million in 2018 to $5.7 billion in 2022, according to a new analysis from the health policy group.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 27, 2024 -
Medicare to cover Novo’s obesity drug for some patients
Two weeks after the FDA updated Wegovy’s label, Medicare changed its stance to allow people with a history of heart disease to receive treatment, a shift that could further boost access to the fast-selling medicine.
By Ben Fidler • March 22, 2024 -
Hospitals could face revenue hit if insurers play hardball over MA: report
Insurers could increase claims denials and engage in aggressive contract negotiations with hospitals as profitability in the popular plans declines.
By Susanna Vogel • March 21, 2024 -
CMS launches model to increase primary care investment in Medicare
Value-based care and physician interest groups said the model should create a more stable cash flow for providers.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 20, 2024 -
Elevance to buy Kroger’s specialty pharmacy
Major pharmacy benefit managers continue to double down on specialty as a reliable source of business amid a growing crop of pharmacy upstarts.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 19, 2024 -
Government watchdog warns of Medicaid oversight gaps
The CMS doesn’t require states to report data on outcomes or care denials, and has made “delayed” progress on plans to analyze the information and make it public, according to the Government Accountability Office.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 18, 2024 -
Continuous Medicaid enrollment linked to less postpartum coverage loss, study finds
States that have expanded Medicaid for a year after pregnancy might see similar coverage gains, researchers wrote.
By Emily Olsen • March 13, 2024 -
Elevance completes Paragon Health acquisition
The infusion services and drug therapy company will operate under CarelonRx, Elevance’s pharmacy benefit manager.
By Susanna Vogel • March 11, 2024 -
Deep Dive
Why Cigna is capping cost increases for pricey GLP-1 weight loss drugs
The move — the first of its kind — comes as pharmacy benefit managers continue to try to prove their value to clients, and shows how major players are shoring up to meet sky-high GLP-1 demand.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 8, 2024 -
Change Healthcare cyberattack
Change says its largest claims clearinghouses coming back online
More than $14 billion in claims have been prepared for processing and will start flowing soon, the technology firm said Friday.
By Emily Olsen • Updated March 25, 2024 -
Biden proposes strengthening Medicare’s drug pricing power
The administration seeks to significantly increase the number of drugs each year that would be subjected to price negotiations under provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.
By Kristin Jensen • March 7, 2024 -
Medicare Advantage beneficiaries receive fewer home health visits, study finds
Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were also less likely to improve self-care and mobility function, according to research published in JAMA Health Forum.
By Emily Olsen • March 5, 2024 -
Elevance gains $190M on revised MA star ratings
It’s a positive development for the insurer, which sued the government earlier this year after its quality scores fell dramatically.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 5, 2024 -
Change Healthcare cyberattack
AlphV’s hit on Change Healthcare strikes a sour note for defenders
The ransomware group didn’t just regroup quickly after a law enforcement takedown. It carried out the worst attack on U.S. infrastructure to date, according to experts.
By Matt Kapko • March 4, 2024 -
Molina loses Medicaid contract in Virginia
It’s the second recent Medicaid state loss for Molina, despite executives expressing confidence about the insurer’s ability to retain contracts.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 1, 2024 -
Elevance launches weight management program, including GLP-1 monitoring
Elevance joins a growing list of insurers expanding their weight management offerings amid soaring demand for GLP-1 drugs.
By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 28, 2024 -
UnitedHealth under antitrust investigation by DOJ: reports
Regulators are reportedly looking into the massive healthcare conglomerate’s potential anticompetitive effects, including the relationship between its health insurer UnitedHealthcare and physician network Optum.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 28, 2024 -
Lobby-funded study argues Medicare Advantage rate cuts are worse than CMS expects
Medicare Advantage payment per month per beneficiary could drop by 1% next year if regulators finalize rates as proposed, according to the analysis backed by the Better Medicare Alliance.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 27, 2024 -
State attorneys general urge PBM reform
The letter, sent on behalf of 39 state attorneys general to leaders in Congress, comes as lawmakers consider legislation to regulate the pharmacy middlemen.
By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 23, 2024 -
Medicare Advantage plans provide less intensive post-acute care, study finds
The research found no differences in 30-day hospital readmissions or mortality, but the study’s authors said more analysis on patients’ long-term functioning was needed.
By Emily Olsen • Feb. 21, 2024