Private Payers News

Cigna Healthcare Invests $1M to Reduce Food Insecurity for Seniors

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Cigna’s health benefits provider, Cigna Healthcare, will invest $1 million in community-based organizations to address food insecurity among older adults. “Too many people in our country,...

Anthem Blue Cross Grants CA Orgs $1.2M to Address Mental Health

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Anthem Blue Cross Foundation has awarded $1.2 million in grants to five California-based organizations that focus on addressing mental health and substance use disorders in surrounding...

Employers Expect Highest Health Plan Benefits Cost Growth in 10 Years

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In 2024, experts anticipate that health benefits costs will increase 5.4 percent on average per employee, according to Mercer’s National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2023. Mercer...

Blue Shield of CA Technology Partnership Improves Care Management

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Blue Shield of California has partnered with a software company to improve care management services for members and streamline enrollment for employers. Through its collaboration with Salesforce, the...

Cigna Removes Prior Authorization for 25% of Medical Services

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Cigna Healthcare is removing prior authorization requirements for nearly 25 percent of medical services, facilitating access to care for members. The Cigna Group’s health benefits provider...

Top 5 Largest Health Insurance Payers in the United States

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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicare Advantage plans continue to bolster enrollment for major payers. Enhanced premium subsidies on the ACA market along with greater federal investments in...

Payer Turns to PBM Coupon Program to Lower Prescription Drug Spending

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Reducing drug prices is top-of-mind for payers and employers alike. Some payers, like Capital Blue Cross, seek to make drugs more affordable by connecting members with existing coupon...

How Payers Are Reducing Prior Authorizations, Limiting Care Disruptions

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Although prior authorization aims to control costs and limit unnecessary medical procedures, healthcare stakeholders have continued to raise concerns that the process creates substantial administrative...

Blue Cross of Idaho Invests in Digital Platform, Improving Senior Care

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Blue Cross of Idaho and several venture capital firms have invested in Endear Health, a digital platform that aims to improve value-based care delivery for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. The...

Consumers Blame Payers, Utilization Management for Delays in Care

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Consumers do not agree that insurers are protecting them from high out-of-pocket costs and find that utilization management practices—such as prior authorization and formulary...

Humira Price for Commercial Plans Remained Steep Despite High Rebates

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Despite increasing rebates, the net price of Humira for Medicaid and commercial health plans in 2020 remained high above the launch price, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. The...

How Mental and Behavioral Health Disparities Impact Adults, Youth

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Mental and behavioral health disparities disproportionately impact racial minority groups, people with disabilities, and those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, a report from UnitedHealth...

UHC Reports 13% Revenue Growth in Q2 2023 Due to Rising Enrollment

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UnitedHealth Group’s earnings call for the second quarter of 2023 featured revenue growth due to strong performance from the healthcare company’s insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare, and its...

Cigna Healthcare Boosts Treatment Access with New Biosimilar Coverage

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Cigna Healthcare has added four Humira biosimilars to its formularies, aiming to increase member access to affordable treatments. Cigna Pharmacy Management, Cigna’s provider of pharmacy...

Humana Foundation Supports Initiative to End Veteran Suicide

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The Humana Foundation is supporting a new initiative that aims to reduce veteran suicide and promote mental healthcare. USAA and the USAA Foundation established the Face the Fight initiative to raise...

Members with Anxiety, Depression Face Higher Out-of-Pocket Spending

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Individuals with depression, anxiety, or both who are enrolled in large employer-sponsored health plans have higher out-of-pocket spending than individuals without such diagnoses, according to an issue...

BCBSA Will Invest $10M to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis

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The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to address the youth mental health crisis by increasing access to trauma-informed care. “The...

Blue Cross MN Commercial Plans Will Cover Peer Support Specialists

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) is improving member access to mental health resources by adding coverage of peer support specialists to commercial plans next year. “As the...

KFF: Over Half of Insured Adults Face Problems with Health Insurance

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More than half of adults experienced problems with their health insurance, with issues ranging from payment discrepancies to limited mental healthcare coverage, a KFF survey found. The survey was...

SCAN, CareOregon Grants Help Eliminate $110M in Medical Debt

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SCAN and CareOregon have granted $345,000 to a nonprofit organization that helps eliminate medical debt, a move expected to erase $110 million in debt for residents across five states. RIP Medical...