Layoffs at Health Care Service Corp., a new UnitedHealthcare-Walgreens partnership and an interview with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota's CEO were among the payer stories that piqued the interest of readers in January.
Below are the five most popular payer stories published by Becker's Hospital Review this month.
1. HCSC to lay off 400 employees
Health Care Service Corp., the Chicago-based parent of five Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, will shed about 400 mid-management positions.
2. Not a MinuteClinic: UnitedHealthcare Medicare Part D CEO outlines Walgreens centers
A Las Vegas Walgreens will be the first to house one of 14 UnitedHealthcare Medicare service centers set to open this year.
3. BCBS of Minnesota CEO Dr. Craig Samitt: Healthcare needs reinvention. Look to the incumbents
Craig Samitt, MD, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and its parent company, Stella, is anxious about the trajectory of healthcare cost growth in his state. The unsustainable rise in healthcare costs in Minnesota and nationwide has dominated strategy discussions among healthcare leaders for years, but 2020 will bring more urgent and provocative responses from industry players to curb cost growth, Dr. Samitt predicts.
4. CMS proposes risk adjustment updates to Medicare Advantage: 5 things to know
CMS released its first round of proposed updates to Medicare Part C and Part D payment policies Jan. 6.
5. WellCare, Centene deal to close today: 3 things to know
WellCare Health Plans and Centene secured all regulatory requirements needed to merge, the organizations said Jan. 23.