Author: Rylee Wilson

Centene has pulled its earnings guidance for 2025, citing higher aggregate ACA market morbidity. In a July 1 regulatory filing, Centene said it received data from consulting firm Wakely indicating overall marketplace growth in 22 of its 29 marketplace states…

The affordability of employer-sponsored health insurance varies significantly by household income, according to a report from the Peterson-KFF Health System tracker.  Average employer-sponsored insurance premiums have increased by 24% over the past five years, though deductibles have remained steady, according…

Groups representing insurers are urging the House of Representatives to rollback steep Medicaid cuts passed by the Senate.  The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a 1,000+ page budget reconciliation package, passed the Senate July 1. The Senate version would cut…

UnitedHealthcare, Centene, Elevance Health and other insurers have picked up Medicaid managed care contracts in 2025.  Here are three states awarding new contracts Becker’s has reported so far in 2025: 

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is the top-performing insurer for customer experience in 2025, according to a report from Forrester.  The research firm analyzed 16 insurers on their customer experience performance. The customer experience index, scored on a 100-point scale, is derived…

A real-time data initiative helped Healthfirst improve follow-up rates for patients visiting emergency rooms for mental health and substance use conditions.  A national challenge for the industry is that relying on claims data alone is not fast enough to ensure…

The Cigna Group is granting 24 health organizations funding to support youth mental health projects.  Here are three things to know:  See the full list of grantees here. 

In June, around 50 insurers pledged their commitment to a set of voluntary actions aimed at simplifying the prior authorization process. The group of insurers, backed by leaders including CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, said they will work to implement…

Amar Desai, MD, is out as CEO of Optum Health, Bloomberg reported June 26.  Patrick Conway, MD, CEO of Optum, will also take over as CEO of Optum’s health division, Bloomberg reported, citing an internal memo.  Dr. Desai will remain…

Clear answers to questions are the top driver of members’ experience with their insurers, according to a report from Forrester.  The research firm scored insurers on the brand experience index, which measures customers’ and noncustomers’ brand perception, and customer experience…