NEW YORK (Reuters)—The U.S. government on Friday proposed raising payments by 1.35% on average next year to the health insurers who offer Medicare Advantage health benefits to elderly and disabled Americans. Payments to insurers will vary under the 2017 Medicare Advantage proposal, based on the region the plans are sold and on the size of…
Aetna’s Deal for Humana May Push Up Costs for Seniors
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Aetna Inc.’s plan to buy smaller insurer Humana Inc. for $31 billion will mean seniors will pay higher Medicare Advantage premiums, according to a new report by the think tank Center for American Progress (CAP). Aetna’s proposed deal for Humana would combine Aetna’s 7% of the Medicare Advantage market with Humana’s 19%, and make…
U.S. Government Suspends Enrollment in Cigna Medicare Advantage, Drug Plans
(Reuters)—The U.S. government has suspended new enrollment in Cigna Corp’s Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors and standalone Medicare prescription drug plans, citing noncompliance in its appeals and grievances procedures. The government said Cigna had deficiencies in its appeals and grievances processes in both Medicare Advantage and the Medicare prescription drug program, according to a…
U.S. Top Court Rejects New Challenge to Obamacare
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court, which delivered major rulings in 2012 and 2015 preserving President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, on Tuesday declined to take up a new, long-shot challenge to Obamacare brought by an Iowa artist. The court turned away an appeal by Matt Sissel, who had asserted that the 2010 Affordable Care Act…
High-Deductible Health Plan Enrollees Aren’t Shopping Around
hgh(Reuters Health)—High-deductible health insurance plans have been tied to lower healthcare spending, but a new study suggests the reason is not that enrollees in those plans are savvier. High-deductible plans have lower premiums, but when enrollees need medical care, it costs them more out-of-pocket. Researchers had expected that these patients are spending less because they’re…
Anthem Targets $3 Billion in Drug Cost Cavings with Express Scripts
(Reuters)—Anthem Inc. could save $3 billion annually on drug costs from a re-pricing provision in its current contract with pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts Holding Co, the health insurer’s chief executive officer said Tuesday. Anthem said it is working to renegotiate the contract this year to avoid overpaying for pharmaceuticals based on current market conditions….
HCA Says Insurance Exchange Enrollment Encouraging So Far
(Reuters)—The chief executive of HCA Holdings Inc. on Monday said he expects the Affordable Care Act to drive more growth for the U.S. hospital operator in 2016 as Americans sign up for insurance coverage through exchanges created under the law. “We are very encouraged by the open enrollment results so far,” R. Milton Johnson, CEO…
Healthcare Investors Brace for Busy Week as U.S. Conference Kicks Off
(Reuters)—Healthcare investors can expect a volatile week starting on Monday when the sector’s biggest financial event hits San Francisco. The annual JP Morgan healthcare conference, in which many healthcare companies present product and financial news to would-be investors, has been credited for helping the January out-performance of the healthcare sector in recent years. But after…
Do Tiered Physician Networks Help or Hurt? What Rheumatologists Should Know
Health insurance plans are increasingly favoring tiered physician networks, which some fear have the potential to limit patient access to such specialties as rheumatology to achieve short-term cost reduction…
New York Orders UnitedHealth to Pay $100,000 to Settle Antitrust Probe
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The New York Attorney General has ordered UnitedHealth Group to pay a $100,000 fine after an investigation found the insurance provider engaged in anti-competitive practices involving elder and long-term care products, according to a person familiar with the matter. The settlement, which was signed late Wednesday, centers on efforts by UnitedHealth to force nursing…
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