Humana's 2023 in 10 headlines

In 2023, Humana announced plans to end its commercial insurance business, named its next CEO and saw a planned merger with Cigna fall through. 

Here are the 10 most-read stories on Humana Becker's reported in 2023: 

1. Humana laid off at least 1,162 employees in two states following the decision to close all its SeniorBridge home care facilities nationwide. The payer closed 16 facilities at the end of 2022, and closed its  remaining seven locations in New York in March. Humana is one of several payers to lay off employees in 2023.
   
   
2. Lawmakers asked for more information about claims denials from the largest Medicare Advantage insurers in 2023, including Humana. In May, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations sent letters to CVS Health, Humana and UnitedHealth Group seeking internal documents detailing how the companies decide to approve or deny claims, including how the payers use artificial intelligence in the process.
   
   
3. In December, a planned merger between the Cigna Group and Humana was called off following a disagreement over price and other financial terms. The merger would have created one of the largest healthcare companies in the U.S.
   
   
4. At least seven health systems dropped Humana's Medicare Advantage plans in 2023, or are planning to drop the insurer in 2024, as part of a growing number of hospitals and health cutting some or all contracts with Medicare Advantage plans. Becker's has reported at least 15 systems dropping some or all MA plans in 2023.
   
   
5. Humana plans to exit the Employer Group Commercial Medical Products Business over the next 18 to 24 months, the company said in February. The business "was no longer positioned to sustainably meet the needs of commercial members over the long term or support the company's long-term strategic plans," Humana said.
   
   
6. Humana is challenging a CMS rule that would implement stricter auditing standards on Medicare Advantage plans. In the lawsuit filed in September, Humana asked the judge to require CMS to vacate the final rule, as it will have "unpredictable consequences for Medicare Advantage organizations and the millions of seniors who rely on the Medicare Advantage program for their healthcare."
   
   
7. Humana allegedly used an artificial intelligence tool owned by UnitedHealth Group to wrongfully deny Medicare Advantage members' medical claims, according to a class-action complaint. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky in December and is the latest legal action against major insurers such as UnitedHealthcare and Cigna for allegedly using automated data tools to wrongfully deny members' claims.
   
   
8. In August, Humana ended a cataract surgery prior authorization policy for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Georgia that had been criticized by ophthalmology groups.
   
   
9. Envision Healthcare president and CEO Jim Rechtin will be Humana's next CEO. Current CEO Bruce Broussard plans to step down from his role in the second half of 2024, the company announced in October.  Mr. Rechtin will join Humana as chief operating officer in January and transition to the CEO role later in 2024.
   
   
10. Kate Goodrich, MD, chief medical officer of Humana, is leading a companywide initiative to improve members' health literacy. Dr. Goodrich sat down with Becker's to explain why Humana is training every employee on health literacy.