Payer

New weight loss drugs could cost Medicare billions of dollars each year if the program is required to cover them, public health experts wrote March 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Two senators are asking CMS to address loopholes in its price transparency rule for payers that they say have allowed the industry to "evade accountability."

From completing its acquisition of LHC Group to ranking as the largest insurance company by market cap, here are eight updates about UnitedHealth Group that Becker's has reported since Feb. 13:

Aetna is leveraging its parent company's retail stores to let Medicaid members know they may need to renew their coverage. 

More employers are offering Medicare Advantage benefits to their retired employees, but some retirees have concerns about prior authorization and costs, The New York Times reported March 10. 

Though states and Medicaid managed care plans are ramping up campaigns to let their members know about upcoming redeterminations, most participants in a focus group conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation said they had not been asked to update their contact…

Fraudsters with fake medical equipment companies and other fronts are scamming Medicare and Medicaid out of billions each year, CNBC reported March 9. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois was fined $605,000 by the Illinois Department of Insurance for violating network transparency laws. 

Many Americans would skip preventive care if courts dismantle the requirement for payers to cover preventive care with no cost sharing, a survey by Morning Consult found. 

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra urged states to ensure that they are implementing "every possible option to prevent eligible individuals" from losing Medicaid coverage during the redetermination process, CNN reported March 9.