Payer

While regional payers have fewer members, their concentration in one area gives them the same power, if not a leg up, in negotiations with local providers, according to an August Fitch Ratings report shared with Becker's Hospital Review.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is collaborating with Charlotte, N.C.-based Cityblock Health via five Medicaid managed care clinics.

Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred at Home is finally under Humana's roof as the insurer completed its acquisition of the home health company Aug. 17.

Susan Diamond became Humana's permanent CFO in June. She spoke with Becker's Aug. 16 about her top goals for her first year and the future of the payer's home healthcare expansion. 

Amid COVID-19 surges putting strain on hospital capacities, the Louisiana Hospital Association is calling on CMS to ditch Medicare Advantage's red tape so hospitals can transfer patients to other facilities more fluently.

Despite national efforts to increase insured rates over the past two decades, racial healthcare inequities haven't budged, according to JAMA. 

The price tags on Medicare Advantage plans are growing further apart from their basic Medicare counterparts.

Molina Healthcare's Nevada subsidiary was awarded a four-year state Medicaid contract, effective Jan. 1, 2022. 

Centene subsidiary Buckeye Health Plan is joining the ranks of Ohio's six Medicaid managed care organizations, the state Department of Medicaid announced Aug. 13. 

Independence Blue Cross appointed Seun Ross, PhD, RN, as the organization's first executive director of health equity.