The National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Opioids and Behavioral Health committee brought together healthcare leaders from across the nation to explore an under-represented subject: strategies around substance use disorders with...
Employer-sponsored primary care clinics are a steadily growing trend among large employers and one that experts anticipate to persist as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study...
Private health plan members have found that payers’ mental healthcare networks are less adequate than their medical health networks, a study published in the JAMA Network Open revealed.
There...
UnitedHealth Group has launched a virtual-first health plan with the goal of integrating in-person and virtual care.
“By collaborating with Optum, UnitedHealthcare is developing a more...
As employers seek to lower costs, a few key employer health benefit strategies are showing positive results.
Healthcare costs are on an unsustainable trajectory, according to employer respondents in a...
Advanced primary care can help employers control costs and coordinate care, but many employers do not know how to start and scale such a solution in their employer-sponsored health plans, according to...
CVS Health and Aetna have launched a virtual primary care service to increase member access to preventive care.
Aetna Virtual Primary Care will provide members with telehealth services as well as a...
Cigna and Oscar Health, Inc are expanding their virtual primary care program to Tennessee and Georgia in order to increase access to care for small business owners and employees.
Pending regulatory...
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has announced it will delay its recent protocol change regarding emergency department (ED) claims and coverage, after receiving backlash from providers and health organizations...
Physical and behavioral healthcare integration is a key aim for many private payers, but progress has been slow.
Brett Hart, chief behavioral health officer at Centene, has more than 20 years of managed care leadership experience and is...
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) announced a value-based kidney care agreement with a DaVita Integrated Kidney Care program for members who have chronic kidney disease or end stage...
Humana has announced that some of its senior services and other payer-agnostic services will begin to transition into CenterWell, the payer’s newest brand.
Transitioning various services into...
Prominent payers have sought to create health plans that are anchored in virtual care, known as “virtual-first” health plans.
The virtual-first health plan is not directly the result of...
In an effort to encourage virtual care and primary care services utilization, UnitedHealthcare is expanding its virtual care policies so that more members can have access to virtual care visits as an...
Humana has announced a new value-based primary care services model for Medicare Advantage members using the CMS Primary Care First model.
“The creation of this model comes at a critical time....
Payers’ top coronavirus-related concern is the effectiveness of a coronavirus vaccine, Avalere researchers have discovered.
The Avalere researchers deployed an online survey and received...
In the San Francisco Bay Area, employers face the challenge of escalating healthcare spending.
This problem is not restricted to the Bay Area alone. Average premiums nationwide were around $7,470 for...
There are five social determinants of health domains, according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) Healthy People 2030 website. While certain domains will at times require...
UnitedHealthcare and Canopy Health are introducing a new employer-sponsored, concierge-style health plan that incorporates free access to primary care services.
“In designing the California...
A value-based care program from Blue Cross and Blue Shield North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) saw cost savings and quality improvement and increased provider participation in its first year, the payer...
