Highmark has laid off 182 employees, a spokesperson for the company told Becker's March 11.

The Biden Administration is doubling down on a proposal to create "Medicaid-like" coverage for low-income adults in states that have not expanded the program. 

The healthcare industry is rapidly evolving, transforming both patient experiences and healthcare delivery. It's essential to embrace an integrated spectrum of care, which encompasses in-person, digital, and virtual services to adapt to this changing landscape. This approach enables timely medical interventions, minimizes travel issues, ensures ongoing support, and ultimately results in better health outcomes.

From the Elevance-Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana deal put on hold again to Cigna reaching a deal to sell its Medicare business, here are nine payer mergers and acquisitions updates Becker's has reported since Jan. 29: 

Wegovy is now approved to be used to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death, which could lead to broader payer coverage of the drug. 

Elevance Health has closed the acquisition of infusion center and specialty pharmacy operator Paragon Healthcare. 

The federal government is urging UnitedHealth Group and other insurers to address cash flow issues among providers facing an absence of timely payments following the cyberattack on Change Healthcare in February.

Seven insurers have pledged to cover navigation services for cancer and other serious illnesses. 

Medicare Part D plans have ramped up restrictions on prescription drugs since 2011, a study published in the March edition of Health Affairs found. 

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage startup plans grew 18% from 2023 to 2024, according to a March 5 analysis from Chartis. 

The Cigna Group has launched EncircleRx, a program aimed at helping employers control the cost of GLP-1 drugs for weight-loss. 

Clover Health has named Clay Thornton CFO of its Medicare Advantage division. 

UnitedHealth Group detailed a timeline March 7 for restoring key Change Healthcare systems following the unprecedented cyberattack on the company in late February. 

Three weeks after a halted merger between BCBS Louisiana and Elevance Health, two Louisiana state lawmakers have filed bills that would make it more difficult for nonprofit insurers, (such as BCBS Louisiana) to reorganize into a for-profit organization that could then be sold, nola.com reported March 5.

Some Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are reporting year-end financial losses due to ongoing trends such as rising utilization in the Medicare Advantage space and growing demand for weight loss drugs. 

Payers are reporting significant reductions in the volume of claims they receive from providers following the ransomware attack on Optum's Change Healthcare in late February, but the effect on prior authorization processes has been limited.

Wellpoint Washington, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elevance Health, has named Lisa Bogard president. 

Twenty-six states now have more than half of their Medicare enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans, according to a March 5 report from Chartis, a healthcare advisory services firm. 

Walgreens Boots Alliance's former executive vice president and global chief legal officer has been named an executive in residence at UnitedHealth Group. 

UnitedHealth Group and its Change Healthcare business are facing a proposed class-action lawsuit in the wake of a cyberattack that downed Change's applications, complicating operations at hospitals, physician practices and pharmacies.