Payer

Improving data is key to improving health equity, LaShawn McIver, MD, director of the CMS Office of Minority Health, wrote in a Nov. 10 blog post. 

Unclear regulations and a lack of experience managing risk for dual-eligible populations are holding payers back from developing plans for individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, executives for Belong Health write in an opinion for Health Affairs published Nov.…

Cigna CEO David Cordani told Fortune's "Leadership Next" podcast employers now have employee well-being and mental health "front and center." 

Anthem Blue Cross originally denied a member's appeal of a $40,000 bill for a tumor removal surgery — but the payer reversed course when the patient took to TikTok to dispute the bill, CBS Chicago reported Nov. 14.

Humana is the best employer for veterans among large insurers, according to the Military Times' "Best for Vets: Employer Survey."

Here are nine legal developments Becker's has reported since Oct. 11: 

The top 20 private health insurers spent $1.87 billion on social determinants of health between 2017 and 2021, according to a Nov. 10 study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

With a record number of Medicare Advantage plans available in 2023, more payers are adding specialized plans, including plans aimed at addressing specific needs of veterans.

A record 3,998 Medicare Advantage plans are available nationwide for individual enrollment in 2023, according to a Nov. 10 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

From new PBM contracts to extended relations with Apple, these are 11 recent payer partnerships reported by Becker's since Oct. 14: