Family premiums rise as employers boost virtual, mental health benefits, KFF finds

About half of employers with at least 200 workers reported healthcare utilization among their plan enrollees was in line with expectations for the most recent quarter, while 32% said it was below estimates.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 11, 2021

1 in 3 patients defer healthcare due to existing medical debt, TransUnion finds

The credit bureau's healthcare data analytics unit also reported a 55% rise in financial assistance transactions from September 2020 to September 2021.

By Susan Kelly • Nov. 10, 2021

Oak Street faces DOJ inquiry into third-party marketing, transportation relationships

Analysts said the inquiry, while in early stages, could pressure the company's stock. "This creates a new potential risk factor that we are unlikely to get clarity on for some time," SVB Leerink analyst Whit Mayo said.

By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 9, 2021

Kaiser's operating margin dwindles as COVID-19 expenses, labor costs rise

Along with ongoing pandemic stresses, the California nonprofit is facing rising expenses amid intense workforce pressure as it faces the start of a major strike next week.

By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 8, 2021

Insurer profitability remained strong in Q3 despite unexpectedly high COVID-19 costs

For most payers, higher-than-expected coronavirus costs were offset by patients continuing to delay nonessential medical care.

Nov. 5, 2021

Cigna reports special enrollment period led to bump in medical claims, still posts $1.6B profit

Analysts characterized the third quarter results as mixed, even as the payer hiked its forecast for the remainder of the year.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 4, 2021

Adults support major changes to US healthcare system amid rising costs, survey finds

Those surveyed showed the widest support for policy changes that could lower drug costs, followed by measures limiting what both hospitals and doctors can charge for services, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 4, 2021

Iora boosts One Medical's 50% revenue growth, but medical costs ding Q3 bottom line

Currently, at-risk membership makes up less than 5% of One Medical's overall membership base. But Medicare revenue in the quarter made up more than a fifth of the primary care chain's topline.

By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 4, 2021

Humana cuts outlook after delta surge raises utilization expectations

Hospitalization trends were on par with January 2021, the height of the pandemic. As a result, Humana expects utilization to run higher than its original forecast, cutting into earnings expectations for the full year.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 3, 2021

CMS finalizes plans to hike price transparency penalties, extend telehealth flexibilities

The agency is also moving forward with a plan to stop the elimination of the Medicare inpatient-only list, which is a win for hospitals.

By Shannon Muchmore • Nov. 3, 2021

COVID-19 medical costs drag Aetna's commercial business, but CVS still posts $1.6B in Q3 profit

Though the pandemic continues to stress CVS' payer segment, drugstores continue to benefit from COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, particularly as a greater number of employers begin to mandate the shots.

By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 3, 2021

Delta dragged down hospital margins in September, Kaufman Hall says

Patient volumes declined in almost every key category, including emergency room visits and operating room minutes, according to the consulting group.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 2, 2021

For-profit hospitals had more COVID-19 admissions in Q3

While the ongoing pandemic exacerbated labor strains for operators, volumes rose across the board — especially in emergency departments.

By Hailey Mensik • Nov. 2, 2021

Why are women more likely to use telehealth?

As Washington mulls over telehealth regulations post-COVID-19, it's important not to roll back access in a way that could disproportionately affect women, experts say.

By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 2, 2021

Cerner narrows strategic focus as Feinberg takes reins

The EHR vendor tried to do too much in the past, new CEO David Feinberg told investors. "Going forward, we're going to change that approach and only focus on a small number of important, high-value areas."

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 29, 2021

CHS profit, revenue in Q3 mirrors prior year as patient volumes improve

Labor costs are a sticking point this earnings season. But unlike its peers, CHS' expenses actually dropped slightly during the period.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 28, 2021

Teladoc plans to take on risk in primary care, expand program to hospital clients

It's unlikely the vendor will step into fully capitated contracts right away, but its CEO said there are degrees of risk Teladoc will take on: moving from clinical measures of care, to risk corridors and ultimately into capitation.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 28, 2021

Delta surge weighs on Molina's Q3 earnings, but membership up 20%

Despite pandemic pressure, the insurer largely beat Wall Street expectations, and Jefferies analysts said the company delivered "solid overall results."

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 28, 2021

A look at Teladoc's primary care strategy from its head of US group health

In an interview, Kelly Bliss teased upcoming clients for a new virtual-first primary care product and parsed out Teladoc's growth strategies for 2022 and beyond.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 27, 2021

UHS profit down in Q3 as behavioral health segment struggles

The chain posted higher acute care revenues that helped offset lower volumes at its behavioral health facilities during the third quarter, though labor shortages remain a key challenge.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 26, 2021

Centene looks to sell non-core assets, bounces back from Q2 loss

The insurer rebounded in the third quarter as patient utilization returned to more normal levels and revenue increased 11% year over year.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 26, 2021

CARES funding to hospitals hit hard by COVID-19 was unevenly distributed, study finds

Larger academic medical centers received a significantly larger proportion of federal coronavirus relief funds than smaller and more rural hospitals, a study of more than 950 facilities concluded.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 22, 2021

HCA revenue jumped nearly 15% in Q3, but labor costs rose

The chain more than tripled its profit in the third quarter. The company turned to overtime, bonuses and "whatever it took to staff to the patient load that we had," CFO Bill Rutherford said.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 22, 2021

Oak Street Health buys specialty telemed provider for $130M

The deal comes as major U.S. clinical networks increasingly build out their suite of services to jockey for employer and payer clients in the competitive space.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 21, 2021

Anthem again hikes outlook for 2021 after Q3 medical costs beat expectations

Medical costs came in below projections despite the wave of COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases that were fueled by the delta variant during the quarter.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 20, 2021