Payer

Centene is laying off around 3 percent of its workforce, and the company is continuing to offload its non-core business. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan intends to cut 20 percent of its prior authorization requirements. James Grant, MD, the payer's senior vice president and chief medical officer, told Becker's the changes are part of an evolving process.  

From Walmart and UnitedHealth Group to Instacart and Alignment Healthcare, these are six grocery companies that have launched co-branded Medicare Advantage plans with payers in the last two years:

The National Committee for Quality Assurance awarded 13 Medicaid contracts 4.5 star ratings for 2023. 

SCAN Health Plan will offer a women's health focused Medicare Advantage plan in 2024. 

UnitedHealthcare will offer individual exchange plans in Wisconsin, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Carolina in 2024. 

Grocery delivery company Instacart is launching a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan next year with Alignment Healthcare in 13 counties across California and Nevada.

With bipartisan support in Congress and a record number of plans offered nationwide, Medicare Advantage is growing fast, diversifying its members and driving senior care costs down, according to the Better Medicare Alliance's 2023 "State of Medicare Advantage Report."

As the Medicare open enrollment period approaches, the nation's largest insurers are expanding Medicare Advantage plans to nearly every corner of the country, along with introducing plans built for specific populations.

Alaska will pause procedural Medicaid coverage terminations through October after many children were disenrolled from the program, the Anchorage Daily News reported Oct. 1.