Becker's Payer Issues | Payer News

In February, Gov. Ned Lamont proposed the “Connecticut Option” — a publicly created, but privately administered, health plan — in his 2027 budget proposal. He called for $1 million to outline the policy and conduct a feasibility assessment. He said…

An Illinois bill proposed Feb. 2 would require commercial health insurers and HMOs to pay a combined $100 million annual assessment to fund behavioral health crisis services, shifting costs that currently fall on Medicaid and local governments. The crisis resources…

Independence Blue Cross (IBX) is rolling out a severity-based payment approach for emergency inpatient admissions under Medicare Advantage, following a similar policy from Aetna that took effect earlier this year. Under the new policy, effective March 5, IBX will use…

The trustee overseeing litigation claims for bankrupt Dallas-based Steward Health Care System is suing five payers, alleging they owe the system’s former hospitals at least $56.9 million in unpaid claims. The trustee, Mark Kronfeld, filed the complaints Feb. 10 and…

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has agreed to sell its AF Group subsidiary to Enstar Group, a global insurance and reinsurance group, the companies said Feb. 13. AF Group is a national provider of workers’ compensation and specialty insurance…

Workers in 19 states spend 10% or more of their median household income on health insurance premiums and deductibles for family coverage through their employer, according to an analysis published Feb. 11 by the Commonwealth Fund. The analysis used federal…

Cigna’s Evernorth has partnered with Direct Relief to create a donation pathway that routes unused prescription medications from pharmacies directly to disaster response efforts. Express Scripts donated more than 41,000 prescription medications as an initial supply, the company said in…

Pennie, Pennsylvania’s ACA marketplace, saw about 1 in 5 users drop healthcare coverage in the wake of enhanced premium tax credits expiring, according to a Feb. 9 news release. Pennsylvania was among a handful of states to extend its open…

Humana is in talks with Sarasota, Fla.-based MaxHealth — a primary care network and platform focused on adults and seniors — regarding an acquisition, Bloomberg reported Feb. 12. According to Bloomberg sources, MaxHealth, owned by private equity firm Arsenal Capital…

When San Diego-based Scripps Health walked away from nearly all of its commercial Medicare Advantage contracts Jan. 1, 2024, the move drew widespread attention across the industry. Medicare Advantage enrollment was still climbing nationally and many health systems were doubling…