Payer: Page 21


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    CMS launches model to increase primary care investment in Medicare

    Value-based care and physician interest groups said the model should create a more stable cash flow for providers.

    By March 20, 2024
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    Elevance to buy Kroger’s specialty pharmacy

    Major pharmacy benefit managers continue to double down on specialty as a reliable source of business amid a growing crop of pharmacy upstarts.

    By March 19, 2024
  • Explore the Trendline
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    Trendline

    Payer/provider relationships

    As M&A intensifies and companies embrace more holistic and value-based care models, partnerships have become more closely intertwined.

    By Healthcare Dive staff
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    Government watchdog warns of Medicaid oversight gaps

    The CMS doesn’t require states to report data on outcomes or care denials, and has made “delayed” progress on plans to analyze the information and make it public, according to the Government Accountability Office.

    By March 18, 2024
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    Continuous Medicaid enrollment linked to less postpartum coverage loss, study finds

    States that have expanded Medicaid for a year after pregnancy might see similar coverage gains, researchers wrote.

    By March 13, 2024
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    Elevance completes Paragon Health acquisition

    The infusion services and drug therapy company will operate under CarelonRx, Elevance’s pharmacy benefit manager.

    By March 11, 2024
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    Deep Dive

    Why Cigna is capping cost increases for pricey GLP-1 weight loss drugs

    The move — the first of its kind — comes as pharmacy benefit managers continue to try to prove their value to clients, and shows how major players are shoring up to meet sky-high GLP-1 demand.

    By March 8, 2024
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    Courtesy of UnitedHealth Group
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    Change Healthcare cyberattack

    Change says its largest claims clearinghouses coming back online

    More than $14 billion in claims have been prepared for processing and will start flowing soon, the technology firm said Friday.

    By Updated March 25, 2024
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    Biden proposes strengthening Medicare’s drug pricing power

    The administration seeks to significantly increase the number of drugs each year that would be subjected to price negotiations under provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

    By Kristin Jensen • March 7, 2024
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    Medicare Advantage beneficiaries receive fewer home health visits, study finds

    Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were also less likely to improve self-care and mobility function, according to research published in JAMA Health Forum.

    By March 5, 2024
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    Elevance gains $190M on revised MA star ratings

    It’s a positive development for the insurer, which sued the government earlier this year after its quality scores fell dramatically.

    By March 5, 2024
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    Change Healthcare cyberattack

    AlphV’s hit on Change Healthcare strikes a sour note for defenders

    The ransomware group didn’t just regroup quickly after a law enforcement takedown. It carried out the worst attack on U.S. infrastructure to date, according to experts.

    By Matt Kapko • March 4, 2024
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    Molina loses Medicaid contract in Virginia

    It’s the second recent Medicaid state loss for Molina, despite executives expressing confidence about the insurer’s ability to retain contracts.

    By March 1, 2024
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    Elevance launches weight management program, including GLP-1 monitoring

    Elevance joins a growing list of insurers expanding their weight management offerings amid soaring demand for GLP-1 drugs.

    By Feb. 28, 2024
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    UnitedHealth under antitrust investigation by DOJ: reports

    Regulators are reportedly looking into the massive healthcare conglomerate’s potential anticompetitive effects, including the relationship between its health insurer UnitedHealthcare and physician network Optum.

    By Feb. 28, 2024
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    Lobby-funded study argues Medicare Advantage rate cuts are worse than CMS expects

    Medicare Advantage payment per month per beneficiary could drop by 1% next year if regulators finalize rates as proposed, according to the analysis backed by the Better Medicare Alliance.

    By Feb. 27, 2024
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    Colin Campbell/Healthcare Dive
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    State attorneys general urge PBM reform

    The letter, sent on behalf of 39 state attorneys general to leaders in Congress, comes as lawmakers consider legislation to regulate the pharmacy middlemen.

    By Feb. 23, 2024
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    Medicare Advantage plans provide less intensive post-acute care, study finds

    The research found no differences in 30-day hospital readmissions or mortality, but the study’s authors said more analysis on patients’ long-term functioning was needed.

    By Feb. 21, 2024
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    CMS finalizes rule to cut Medicaid DSH payments for some hospitals

    Under the new definition, hospitals can only receive disproportionate share hospital Medicaid reimbursements for beneficiaries who are primarily insured by the safety-net program.

    By Updated Feb. 22, 2024
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    No Surprises implementation created uptick in in-network claims: Fair Health

    From the fourth quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022, in-network care as a percentage of all national claim lines increased 2.3%, the nonprofit found.

    By Feb. 20, 2024
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    Deep Dive

    Insurers brace for continued Medicare Advantage medical costs

    The big question coming out of the health insurance earnings season is how much elevated utilization among seniors is carrying over into 2024.

    By Feb. 20, 2024
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    Disputes over surprise billing continue to soar, new CMS data shows

    Arbiters are mostly selecting the higher payment offer in billing dispute determinations. That suggests No Surprises could actually raise premiums for consumers, one health researcher said.

    By Feb. 16, 2024
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    CFO Editorial Staff
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    SCAN Group, CareOregon abandon merger plans

    The insurers have dissolved their merger a little over a year after it was announced amid rising criticism from politicians and the public. 

    By Feb. 15, 2024
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    Blue Cross of Louisiana halts sale to Elevance

    It's the latest setback for the $2.5 billion deal, which was proposed early last year but has struggled to close amid a lack of buy-in from state regulators. 

    By Feb. 15, 2024
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    Private equity deals in Medicare Advantage decline, report finds

    High interest rates and new regulations could be driving the slowdown, according to a report by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. 

    By Feb. 14, 2024
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    Humana sued over alleged 340B underpayments in Medicare Advantage

    Alabama-based Baptist Health argued the insurer had received a “windfall” due to illegal payment cuts in the 340B drug discount program.

    By Feb. 13, 2024