Today's Top 20 Stories
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North Carolina joins growing number of states extending Medicaid postpartum benefits
North Carolina will extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for mothers up to 12 months postpartum, becoming the 24th state to do so, HHS said Sept. 22. -
BayCare pauses elective surgeries, procedures for Florida Blue members as contract expiration looms
BayCare Health System paused all elective surgeries and procedures for Florida Blue members Sept. 22 as the expiration date for the in-network contract between the two organizations approaches, WFTS reported. -
New Jersey to begin process of reorganizing Horizon BCBS as mutual holding company
New Jersey will soon begin the process of reorganizing Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield's nonprofit business structure.
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FTC commissioner: investigating PBMs is 'top priority'
The newest member of the Federal Trade Commission, Alvaro Bedoya, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune it is his "personal top priority" that the agency's probe into the pharmacy benefit manager industry is "conducted as rigorously as possible." -
Inflation Reduction Act expected to increase Medicaid drug spending
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Joe Biden on Aug. 16, includes several changes to Medicare drug pricing — some of which may increase Medicaid drug spending, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. -
7 recent CMS moves
Here are seven recent headlines involving CMS Becker's has reported since Sept. 1. -
How the pandemic shaped BCBS North Carolina's new telehealth policy
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is expanding its telehealth policy to include more services based on two years of telehealth claims data from the COVID-19 pandemic released Sept. 20.
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BCBS New Mexico adds 120K honeybees to its headquarters
In a push for sustainability, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico has partnered with beekeeping company Alveole to bring two hives and 120,000 honeybees to its headquarters in Albuquerque. -
6 health insurance startups to know
From launching new health plans to partnering with existing payers, more startups are moving into the health insurance space. Here are six startups Becker's has reported on since Aug. 1. -
The newly introduced No Surprises for Survivors Act: 5 things to know
The No Surprises for Survivors Act was introduced Sept. 19 in the House of Representatives and would require commercial payers to fully cover forensic exams for sexual assault victims. -
Flume Health tapped to help launch Texas provider's plan
Harlingen, Texas-based direct primary care provider Frontier Direct Care has chosen Flume Health to help launch its new health plan.
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Judge tosses lawsuit alleging Medica owes lab over $10M in COVID-19 test payments
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from GS Labs accusing Minnesota-based health insurer Medica of withholding more than $10 million in payments for COVID-19 tests, Minnesota Public Radio reported Sept. 21. -
Traditional Medicare spending is 7% higher than Medicare Advantage, AHIP study finds
Fee-for-service Medicare members spend about 7 percent more on average for healthcare compared to Medicare Advantage members, according to a study published Sept. 21 by AHIP. -
Employers should bring healthcare spending decisions in-house: Viewpoint
To curb the rising costs of paying for employee healthcare, employers should move away from consultants and bring healthcare spending decisions in-house, a group of policy researchers write in Health Affairs. -
OIG: Better oversight needed for Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in two states
The HHS Office of Inspector General found states frequently pay capitation benefits for Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in multiple states. -
10 providers seeking payer contracting talent
Ten providers — including Christus Health and Ascension — recently posted job listings seeking leaders in payer contracting and relations. -
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts introduces virtual primary care option
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is introducing a virtual primary care team feature, the insurer said Sept. 22. -
CVS Health makes progress reducing suicide attempts among Aetna members
CVS Health said it has made progress toward its goal of reducing suicide attempts among adult Aetna members, but rates of suicide attempts in teen populations are increasing. -
Aetna: Aduhelm is medically necessary
Aetna considers Aduhelm to be medically necessary and said Sept. 13 it will cover the controversial Alzheimer's drug if certain criteria are met. -
Curative introduces no-copay health plan in Texas
Healthcare startup Curative, best-known for providing COVID-19 testing, is introducing a health plan with no copays or deductibles.
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