Payer

Optum Labs, the R&D arm of UnitedHealth Group, is partnering with researchers in UCLA's computational medicine department to study how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to personalize treatments and improve care costs and quality.

Employers are expecting their health plan costs to increase by a median of 7 percent in 2023, according to a Sept. 20 survey from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

UPMC Health Plan and value-based kidney care provider InterWell Health are partnering on care coordination for members with kidney disease, InterWell said Oct. 12. 

Humana will launch a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan designed for veterans with military benefits provider USAA, Humana said Oct. 12.  

Bloomington, Minn.-based Bright Health Group said on Oct. 11 it is ending its individual and group insurance business. The move comes after a year of challenges, which included layoffs, a fine from a state insurance regulator and hundreds of millions…

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts said its prior authorization pilot at Boston-based New England Baptist Hospital significantly reduced prior authorization approval times. 

With the Medicare annual enrollment period quickly approaching, payers nationwide are greatly expanding Medicare Advantage plans and benefits. These are 14 recent payer moves to exit or enter new markets reported by Becker's since Oct. 1:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota is partnering with Grand Forks-based Altru Health System for a four-tiered health plan. 

Centene's Health Net has the best customer service among payers, according to Newsweek's "2023 America's Best Customer Service" ranking.

Attorneys representing Blue Cross Blue Shield members in a $2.67 billion antitrust settlement with the BCBS Association asked a federal appeals court Oct. 5 to speed up the objection process.