Payer: Page 52


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    Payers double down on population health programs amid COVID-19

    Keys to successful interventions include good data, local connections and realistic ROI expectations, payer executives said Tuesday at AHIP's annual conference on Medicare, Medicaid and dual eligibles.

    By Sept. 22, 2021
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    OIG flags potential $5B overpaid to Medicare Advantage plans

    The watchdog calls out 20 private insurers, which it does not name, and urges CMS to conduct greater oversight.

    By Sept. 22, 2021
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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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    Second dose of J&J's coronavirus vaccine increases protection, company says

    Long-awaited results from a Phase 3 study run by J&J could support use of a booster dose, although the drugmaker has not officially applied for FDA clearance yet.

    By Shoshana Dubnow • Sept. 21, 2021
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    Sponsored by Zelis

    Your guide to addressing claims pre-payment to maximize savings

    Read more in this guide to discover strategies for high-cost claim optimization.

    Sept. 20, 2021
  • Pandemic special enrollment period led to record number of ACA enrollees

    Legislation passed earlier this year also expanded premium tax credits and helped drive down premiums. More than 90% of those who enrolled during the SEP saw their premiums reduced.

    By Hailey Mensik • Sept. 16, 2021
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    Private health coverage for working-age adults fell amid pandemic, Census data shows

    The drop from March 2019 to March 2021 was largely offset, however, by coverage gains in programs like Medicaid.

    By Susan Kelly • Sept. 15, 2021
  • In rare move, DOJ intervenes in MA fraud case against data mining company

    Defendants Independent Health, an MA payer, and its now defunct medical analytics subsidiary DxID denied all allegations of wrongdoing and said they planned to defend themselves "vigorously" in court.

    By Sept. 15, 2021
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    In lawsuit, former employee blows whistle on Aetna's alleged fraudulent provider network that listed dead physicians

    The plaintiff discovered that "tens of thousands of children were assigned to [primary care providers] that had no relationship whatsoever to [Aetna]," the suit alleges.

    By Updated Sept. 15, 2021
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    Preventable hospitalization costs among unvaccinated patients surged to $3.7B in August, KFF says

    More than 280,000 hospitalizations from COVID-19 between June and August could have been prevented by vaccination, researchers found.

    By Sept. 14, 2021
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    Humana's reported rise in hospitalizations among seniors is a trend worth watching

    It's potentially troubling because people who are eligible for Medicare have a higher vaccination rate than the rest of the population. Humana's report raises questions about what's driving the uptick in hospitalizations among this cohort.

    By Sept. 13, 2021
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    Biden pushes forward on Medicare price negotiation

    But opposition from the drug industry and Republicans could make the Democrats' signature proposal an uphill battle.

    By Jonathan Gardner • Sept. 13, 2021
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    Insurers to disclose relationships with brokers, agents in new CMS proposed rule

    Other proposals would require air ambulances to disclose additional data to HHS and outline how CMS can enforce surprise billing protections if states fail to act.

    By Sept. 13, 2021
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    Biogen offered a window into what's holding up Aduhelm. Investors didn't like what they saw.

    At Morgan Stanley’s healthcare conference, executives detailed how the launch of their Alzheimer’s drug has been slower than expected, due in large part to lingering questions about clinical trial data and insurance coverage.

    By Jacob Bell • Sept. 10, 2021
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    Surprise Billing

    Industry pushes for more time before surprise billing ban enforced

    Payers and hospitals say with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing and key elements still unreleased, it will be difficult to comply by Jan. 1. Key sticking points include arbitration and qualified payment amounts.

    By Sept. 9, 2021
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    Biden admin shells out $452M to boost state reinsurance programs

    The funding is aimed at getting more individuals to enroll in insurance at a lower cost, swelling coverage as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said.

    By Sept. 8, 2021
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    Humana reports uptick in MA hospitalizations, dip in non-COVID-19 admissions

    An anticipated decline in non-COVID-19 care is expected to offset any increases incurred by COVID-19 testing and treatment costs, the insurer said Tuesday.

    By Sept. 8, 2021
  • Actuaries suggest individual insurance premiums won't see large swings in 2022

    There is more information available now about how COVID-19 continues to affect healthcare spending and utilization, unlike the 2021 rate-setting season, and "those impacts are not expected to be material," according to a report.

    By Sept. 3, 2021
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    Medicare insolvency still expected by 2026, unchanged by COVID-19, trustees say

    The forecast is a bit of a bright spot for the otherwise grim financial prospects of the program, as experts worried COVID-19 would result in the fund that finances Medicare Part A running out of money faster than previously expected.

    By Sept. 1, 2021
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    Megan Quinn/Healthcare Dive
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    Hospital lobby urges Congress to extend Medicare cut relief

    The cuts, if they go through, will result in an estimated loss of $36 billion in funding in 2022 alone, the Federation of American Hospitals said.

    By Sept. 1, 2021
  • Sutter to pay $90M in largest False Claims Act settlement against a health system for alleged MA fraud

    The record payment comes on the heels of another massive settlement for the nonprofit, adding to the hit on its already stressed bottom line.

    By Aug. 31, 2021
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    Cigna to expand ACA footprint to 3 new states, 93 new counties next year

    The expansion, which is pending regulatory approval, means Cigna's exchange footprint now spans 13 states, and puts some 1.5 million additional consumers within reach.

    By Aug. 26, 2021
  • Florida Blue parent GuideWell to acquire Puerto Rico's BCBS carrier

    One aim of the deal is to provide a more competitive Medicare Advantage product in Florida and Puerto Rico, executives outlined in a letter to other Blue Cross Blue Shield CEOs.

    By Aug. 25, 2021
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    Nevada awards Medicaid contracts to 4 insurers

    It's a big win for Molina, which will join three incumbents in the state: UnitedHealthcare, Centene and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

    By Aug. 25, 2021
  • Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 iCGM device for people with diabetes
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    Retrieved from Abbott/PRNewswire on June 15, 2020
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    Diabetes screening advised to start at age 35 for overweight, obese people

    While the screening recommendation could lead to more treatment, and therefore more costs to health insurers, catching the disease earlier may save money in the long run.

    By Susan Kelly • Aug. 25, 2021
  • Medicaid, ACA policies for COVID-19 kept rate of uninsured steady, researchers find

    The uninsured rate remained at 11% from March 2019 to April 2021, thanks to a freeze in Medicaid disenrollment and increased ACA subsidies, according to a report from the Urban Institute.

    By Hailey Mensik • Aug. 24, 2021