Payer

Phoenix-based Banner Health and Aetna agreed to a long-term extension of their joint venture partnership, the organizations said Feb. 3. 

Medicare Advantage plans with higher star ratings are associated with improved patient outcomes, according to a study published in Health Affairs. 

Prior authorization for advanced imaging requests was expedited when a health system used a clinical decision support tool in partnership with a commercial payer, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. 

Peter Antall, MD, chief medical officer for Amwell, talks about Virtual Primary Care (VPC) and why health plans and employers should be thinking about it.

Sir Andrew Witty is the new CEO of UnitedHealth Group. He succeeds David Wichmann, who is retiring, the healthcare company said Feb. 4.

Humana recorded a net loss in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to financial documents.

Humana will join a group purchasing organization operated by Cigna, according to Bloomberg.

Humana partnered with DispatchHealth, a provider of in-home medical care, to offer Humana members access to 24/7 medical care outside of the hospital, according to a Feb. 1 news release.

Anthem entered into an agreement with InnovaCare Health to buy its Puerto Rico-based Medicare Advantage and Medicaid subsidiaries, according to a Feb. 2 news release. 

The following payer executive changes were announced in January.