Insurers estimate that they will pay more than $759 million in medical loss ratio rebates across commercial markets in 2026. KFF’s preliminary analysis is based on insurer-reported financial data from market database Health Coverage Portal TM. The ACA established an…

Entering the summer, Centene announced some workforce and leadership shifts, as well as a major Medicaid expansion exit.  Here are four recent Centene updates: 1. Centene’s Ambetter is departing Arkansas’ Medicaid expansion program, Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me, in…

CMS lacks adequate safeguards to stop agents and brokers from enrolling individuals into ACA coverage or switching their plans without consent, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office published July 13. More than 19 million people were enrolled…

The traditional group health plan is in crisis, with commercial insurance costs reaching record highs as factors like specialty medication spend, stop-loss insurance and behavioral health utilization continue to compound. Naturally, employers nationwide have been turning to an array of…

“Payvider” — a portmanteau of “payer” and “provider” — commonly refers to healthcare organizations that have both care and insurance capabilities. Think: provider-sponsored health plans and payer-owned care delivery. But the more you dive into the term, the more you…

Inland Empire Health Plan and Riverside (Calif.) University Health System partnered on a childhood lead poisoning prevention effort, boosting Riverside County’s childhood lead screenings by 11% in 2025. The collaboration resulted from Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures indicating…

Wellpoint D.C., Elevance Health’s Medicaid subsidiary in the District of Columbia, will exit the district’s Medicaid managed care program effective Aug. 1. Enrollees currently with Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup D.C., will be automatically reassigned to AmeriHealth Caritas starting Aug. 1, according…

Support for expanding Medicare into a government-run health plan for everyone swings by nearly 20 percentage points depending on how the idea is described to voters, according to new polling that arrives as the ACA marketplace is deteriorating and employer…

Eight insurers have announced they will stop offering individual ACA marketplace plans, either nationally or in specific states, after the 2026 plan year.  The withdrawals come amid declining enrollment nationwide, rising premiums and the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits…

UnitedHealthcare is allowing employers to opt into offering lifestyle spending accounts as a post-tax benefit for their health plans. Members with these accounts can select eligible wellness offerings, sometimes at a discount. Some potential offerings focus on stress, sleep, fitness,…