In a recent survey of consumers, 66 percent of participants indicated that access to more accurate provider information would increase their trust in their health plan.

UnitedHealthcare's plans to implement a gold-card program in 2024 might cut another 10 percent of its prior authorization volumes on top of a 20 percent reduction that will roll out this summer, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson said during UnitedHealth Group's April 14 earnings call, which was transcribed by Seeking Alpha.

On-label use of new drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes are well managed by current authorization requirements, UnitedHealthcare's CEO Brian Thompson said. 

CMS' risk adjustment changes won't slow down UnitedHealth Group's long-term growth in the program, CEO Andrew Witty told investors. 

One in 3 Americans receives health coverage through one of 34 independent Blue Cross Blue Shield companies. 

From funding three new faculty positions at Thomas Jefferson University, to the departure of its group and military president to Zelis, here are 10 updates on Humana that Becker's has reported since March 23. 

Over half of payers had at least one outcomes-based contract in 2022, according to a survey from Avalere. 

UnitedHealth Group posted revenues of $91.9 billion in the first quarter of 2023, up 15 percent from $80.1 billion over the same period last year, according to the company's earnings report released April 14. 

Humana is investing another $40 million into affordable housing, bringing the payer's total spending on low-cost rental units to $90 million. 

Lawmakers are asking some of the nation's largest health insurers how they will handle preventive care after a judge struck down some requirements for payers to cover preventive services with no cost-sharing. 

A lawsuit alleging Florida's Medicaid program violated federal laws by denying coverage for incontinence supplies for adults with disabilities can proceed as a class action case, the Orlando Sentinel reported April 10. 

From both a payer and provider perspective, addressing patients' social determinants of Health (SDoH) plays a major role in the ability to keep costs down and deliver whole-person, value-based care.

Google and Microsoft are both rolling out new cloud-based care management platforms designed for payers that will support unlocking unstructured data and better member outreach.

Cigna is adding new price caps and transparency models through its pharmaceutical benefit manager, Express Scripts. 

President Joe Biden announced a plan to expand Medicaid and ACA coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients.

The Humana Foundation is investing $1 million to boost mental health resources in Louisville, Ky., following a shooting that killed five people at a bank in the city and another shooting outside a community college that killed one person. Both shootings occurred April 10.   

From international ventures to BCBS plan purchases, these are eight payer market expansions reported by Becker's since Jan. 1:

EHR technologies need to include electronic prior authorization to be certified by HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, AHIP says. 

Medicare Advantage is growing in popularity — almost half of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in the program in 2022. 

Medicaid outreach flexibilities that have been granted during the redetermination process should be made permanent, said Shannon McMahon, Kaiser Permanente's executive director of Medicaid policy.