Today's Top 20 Stories

  1. Cigna launches asynchronous telehealth option

    Rylee Wilson -
    Cigna is launching an "E-Treatment" option to allow members to get urgent care without any direct video or phone interaction with a provider. 

  2. 7 payers among Fortune's best places to work in healthcare

    Rylee Wilson -
    Elevance Health was ranked no. 3 on Fortune's list of the "Best Large Workplaces in Healthcare." 

  3. Medicare Advantage bonus payments decline for first time since 2015

    Rylee Wilson -
    Bonus payments to Medicare Advantage plans will decline by around 8% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to a report from KFF. 

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  1. Payers ranked by Medicare Advantage star bonuses in 2024

    Jakob Emerson -
    UnitedHealthcare and Humana are expected to collectively receive 50% of total Medicare Advantage star bonus payments in 2024, while Kaiser Permanente is expected to collect the highest average bonus per enrollee ($516), according to a Sept. 11 analysis from KFF.

  2. Aetna faces class action lawsuit over gender-affirming care

    Rylee Wilson -
    Aetna is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging the insurer improperly denied gender-affirming care. 

  3. CMS suspends enrollment for Centene Medicare Advantage plan in Missouri

    Jakob Emerson -
    CMS is suspending new enrollment for a Centene Medicare Advantage subsidiary in Missouri after the company failed to meet the required medical loss ratio for three years in a row.

  4. Optum joins CVS, Cigna in dropping Humira

    Rylee Wilson -
    Optum Rx will join the other major pharmacy benefit managers and exclude Humira from some formularies. 

How one Midwest hospital is driving financial efficiency with interconnected systems

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  1. IU Health selling insurance business to Elevance

    Jakob Emerson -
    Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health is selling its health plan to Elevance Health's Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield for an undisclosed amount.

  2. Florida Blue CEO to serve second term as AHIP chair

    Rylee Wilson -
    Pat Geraghty, president and CEO of Florida Blue and parent company Guidewell, will serve a second year as chair of AHIP.

  3. Insurers: Mental health parity rule will have 'severe unintended consequences'

    Rylee Wilson -
    Insurers and employers are pushing back on new rules that would toughen requirements for mental health parity. 

  4. Mercy hands Anthem contract ultimatum over 'denials,' 'red tape'

    Alan Condon -
    St. Louis-based Mercy has notified Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield that it will go out-of-network with the insurer in Missouri if a new agreement is not reached by Jan. 1, 2025. 

How one Midwest hospital is driving financial efficiency with interconnected systems

Sponsored
Major time savers can stem from single logins. That's how 1 hospital achieved a 50% reduction in month-end close time — read the short case study, here.

  1. ​​Payers ranked by digital experience | 2024 

    Jakob Emerson -
    UnitedHealthcare offers the best desktop digital experience among major insurers, and Anthem BCBS plans offer the best mobile app experience, according to new research from Corporate Insight shared with Becker's.

  2. Medicaid pressures to hit Centene's third-quarter earnings

    Rylee Wilson -
    Centene expects rising Medicaid expenses to hurt its third-quarter earnings. 

  3. Payers' PBMs ranked by market share

    Rylee Wilson -
    The four largest pharmaceutical benefit managers account for 70% of the market, an analysis from the American Medical Association found. 

  4. 6 prior authorization updates

    Andrew Cass -
    From UnitedHealthcare releasing details about its national gold-card program to a reform bill in California clearing one of its final legislative hurdles, here are six updates on prior authorization that Becker's has reported since Aug. 20: 

  5. GLP-1s and insurance coverage: 10 key numbers

    Jakob Emerson -
    Insurers and employers face ongoing challenges in covering costly GLP-1 medications, with coverage rates varying significantly based on the individual's insurance plan and employer.

  6. Aetna, 48 HCA Florida hospitals face Sept. 15 split

    Rylee Wilson -
    Aetna and HCA hospitals in Florida will go out-of-network if the two sides do not reach a new contract agreement before Sept. 15. 

  7. The 'great disruption' coming for Medicare Advantage

    Jakob Emerson -
    Come mid-October, the Medicare Advantage program will enter its annual enrollment period, marked by significant changes for older adults.

  8. Medicare Advantage plans contend with election anxiety

    Rylee Wilson -
    Medicare Advantage plans are tasked with educating members about significant changes coming to the program in 2025. They also have to find a way to break through the noise of an election year. 

  9. White House expands mental health parity coverage

    Jakob Emerson -
    The Biden administration has finalized new requirements for health plans to strengthen mental health parity laws for 175 million Americans.

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