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AMA creates new maternity care coding system
The doctors’ association is blowing up the U.S.’ decades-old coding system for recording pregnancy services and starting fresh next year, bowing to calls from OB-GYNs and other maternity specialists.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 2, 2026 -
Courtesy of UnitedHealth Group
Former Optum chief departs UnitedHealth
Heather Cianfrocco, an executive vice president at UnitedHealth and former CEO of its health services division Optum, announced she was leaving the company after a 24-year tenure.
By Sydney Halleman • March 2, 2026 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Yujin Kim/Healthcare Dive
TrendlinePayer/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 -
Permission granted by CVS Caremark
Sponsored by CVS CaremarkGLP-1s are changing benefits decisions. Here’s how health care decision-makers can stay in control.
GLP-1s: What we know, what’s uncertain and what’s coming next.
By Josh Fredell, Senior Vice President and Head of PBM & Specialty Product Innovation, CVS Caremark • March 2, 2026 -
Permission granted by Elevance Health
Elevance shuffles C-suite as top Carelon exec departs
The leadership changes at Elevance’s main growth engine Carelon — and the company’s decision to centralize oversight of its health plans — come as Elevance looks to bolster waning profits.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 27, 2026 -
Rebecca Pifer/Healthcare Dive
How PBM reforms could push drugmakers into the pricing spotlight
The Consolidated Appropriations Act’s landmark PBM overhaul removes financial incentives tied to pharma list prices, potentially leaving drugmakers to defend their own practices.
By Alivia Kaylor • Feb. 27, 2026 -
Alex Wong/Getty Images via Getty Images
Trump administration halts over $259M in Medicaid funds to Minnesota
The funds would be a fraction of the $11.8 billion in Medicaid funding the state receives from the federal government. The Trump administration said the action was part of a broader crackdown on fraud in federal healthcare programs.
By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 26, 2026 -
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Medicare Advantage forced disenrollments rise as insurers exit markets: study
The average rate of forced disenrollments where enrollees had to find a new plan rose from 1% in 2024 to 10% this year, according to research published in JAMA.
By Emily Olsen • Feb. 25, 2026 -
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Medicare Advantage growth decelerates as insurers shed members for 2026
A Healthcare Dive analysis lays out just how drastically insurers retrenched their MA businesses for 2026, with UnitedHealthcare, CVS and Elevance discarding hundreds of thousands of members.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 24, 2026 -
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GOP’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ erases 12 years of solvency for Medicare trust fund: CBO
Congressional scorekeepers expect the Hospital Insurance trust fund to run dry more than a decade earlier than they previously expected, after Republicans’ megabill slashed the revenues it receives from taxes.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 24, 2026 -
Julia Rendleman via Getty Images
Worker did not plausibly argue obesity was a disability, 1st Circuit finds
In a lawsuit filed against Cigna for refusing to cover weight loss medication, a Maine worker described the condition and its impact too generally, the appeals court said.
By Emilie Shumway • Feb. 23, 2026 -
The image by Sixflashphoto is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Justice Department sues OhioHealth over alleged anticompetitive insurer contracts
The DOJ filed a lawsuit last week accusing OhioHealth of leveraging its market power to force insurers to include its providers in their networks.
By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 23, 2026 -
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Sponsored by Stax PaymentsPayments for healthcare: How membership-style saves money
Discover how membership-style payment processing helps healthcare providers reduce fees, control costs, and simplify payments without compromising patient experience.
Feb. 23, 2026 -
Courtesy of Humana
Humana’s CenterWell buys primary care provider MaxHealth
The addition of 82 owned and affiliated clinics in Florida comes as Humana doubles down on its primary care portfolio.
By Emily Olsen • Feb. 17, 2026 -
adamkaz via Getty Images
Sponsored by ElavonWhy every practice should simplify billing – and how
All providers share an ethical obligation to help their patients avoid unnecessary delays in care, but for small and independent practices the impact can be particularly significant.
Feb. 17, 2026 -
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Lowering drug costs is on Republicans’ minds. Democrats say GOP policies don’t help.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle decried the nation’s high drug costs during a House subcommittee hearing last week. Democrats argued Medicaid cuts and lapsed ACA subsidies are worsening the problem.
By Emily Olsen • Feb. 12, 2026 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Kaiser reaches settlement with DOL over alleged mental healthcare access failures
The Department of Labor alleged Kaiser didn’t offer adequate provider networks and used patient questionnaires to prevent members from receiving care.
By Ginger Christ • Feb. 11, 2026 -
Kara Arundel/Healthcare Dive
House Republicans subpoena 8 health insurers over ACA fraud
The subpoenas request additional documents and information from CVS, Centene, Elevance and more, and suggest House Republicans are considering legislation to combat what they view as rampant fraud in the ACA exchanges.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 11, 2026 -
Neiu20001 via Getty Images
Humana could end 2026 as the largest Medicare Advantage insurer
Humana is nabbing MA members while UnitedHealthcare sheds lives. That leaves the companies neck and neck when it comes to MA enrollment, though Humana’s growth is a gamble at a time of elevated medical spending.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 11, 2026 -
Alamy
Cigna to lay off 2,000 workers worldwide
Cigna’s layoffs follow other recent downsizing announcements from health insurers looking to cut costs during an era of heightened medical spending.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 10, 2026 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
CMS proposes sweeping ACA exchange rule
The CMS said the regulation should remove barriers to more affordable health plans like catastrophic coverage, as enrollment on the exchanges falls following the expiration of stronger financial assistance.
By Emily Olsen • Feb. 10, 2026 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
CVS holds 2026 guidance steady as turnaround plan bears fruit
The healthcare giant outperformed to close out 2025, and expects its finances to improve further this year. Still, proposed Medicare Advantage rates could be an issue moving forward.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 10, 2026 -
Alamy
Centene swings to loss but predicts stabilization in 2026
Centene outperformed in the fourth quarter, while predicting earnings growth in 2026 — a rarity among managed care companies’ generally dour outlooks.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 6, 2026 -
Julia Rendleman via Getty Images
Cigna posts ‘low-drama’ fourth quarter following major FTC settlement
Cigna is hoping the settlement it reached with regulators paired with recent legislation will mollify calls to reform PBMs — without affecting Express Scripts’ profitability.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 5, 2026 -
Leigh Vogel via Getty Images
Express Scripts reaches ‘landmark’ settlement with FTC in insulin suit
The agreement includes sweeping changes for Cigna’s PBM, including no longer preferring expensive drugs over cheaper equivalents on standard formularies and reshoring its controversial rebate aggregator.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated Feb. 4, 2026 -
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One-quarter of Medicaid doctors don’t actually treat Medicaid patients: study
The new research published in Health Affairs adds to concerns about low physician participation in the safety-net insurance program, especially among mental health practitioners.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 4, 2026
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