From international ventures to BCBS plan purchases, these are eight payer market expansions reported by Becker's since Jan. 1:
- Denver Health Medical Plan, which is part of a state-managed integrated health system, will be offering individual coverage in southwest Colorado in 2024 under the name Elevate through the Peak Health Alliance, a nonprofit purchasing group that negotiates directly with providers.
- Angle Health, a startup insurer launched in 2021, is expanding its employer-sponsored plans to Florida and North Carolina.
- SelectHealth, the insurance arm of Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health, will expand to Colorado in 2024 in partnership with Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth. The combined venture plans to offer Medicare Advantage and individual ACA exchange plans, pending regulatory approval.
- Curative, a startup health insurance company, is expanding its offerings to 20 counties in the Austin and San Antonio, Texas regions. The company is also adding level-funded plans throughout Texas on top of its full insurance options. Curative plans to expand its full insurance offerings through all of Texas in the future.
- Highmark plans to offer Medicare Advantage and D-SNP plans, individual and small group ACA plans, and large group fully insured and self-insured plans in southeastern Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, in 2024.
- Elevance Health plans to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, adding the Baton Rouge-based payer's 1.9 million members to its Anthem Blue Cross brand.
- Cigna has received approval to open a branch in Saudi Arabia, becoming the first foreign insurer to be granted a license to open a branch in the country.
- St. Luke's Health System in Boise, Idaho began offering a new health plan Jan. 1 in 20 counties across the state. An individual plan is offered on and off the state's ACA exchange, and employer plans for large and small groups are available. Eventually, a Medicare Advantage offering will be considered.