Private Payers News

Health Insurance Coverage Disruptions Tied to Higher Mortality Risks

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Health insurance coverage disruptions were associated with higher mortality risks for people with private and public insurance, a JAMA Health Forum study found. Health insurance coverage is typically...

SCAN Health Plan Expands Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan in CA

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SCAN Health Plan is expanding its California Fully Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (FIDE-SNP) into San Diego County for 2023, increasing access to the state’s only FIDE-SNP. SCAN...

35% More MA Plans Offering Home-Based Supplemental Benefits in 2023

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More Medicare Advantage plans are offering supplemental benefits in 2023, including in-home support services and home-based palliative care, according to a report commissioned by Better Medicare...

Health Insurance Is Expensive, But Americans Intend to Keep Their Plans in 2023

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Even though many Americans are concerned about health insurance costs, most plan to remain in their current health plan for 2023, according to a survey by ValuePenguin. Qualtrics sent out the online...

Medicare Advantage Premiums Rise, Zero-Dollar Premium Plan Uptake Declines

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Medicare Advantage premiums rose to $7 per month on average for 2023 open enrollment season, an eHealth survey uncovered. For the past four years, Medicare Advantage plan premium costs have been...

Top 5 States with the Highest Levels of Healthcare Spending

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In the top five states with the highest healthcare costs, residents may struggle to cover children’s medical bills, face burdensome premiums, or forego care due to high out-of-pocket healthcare...

CareSource Addresses LGBTQA+ Housing Social Determinants of Health Barriers

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CareSource is providing $1 million in funds to a large nonprofit senior living organization in Ohio to create a residential community specifically designed for LGBTQA+ individuals and allies in an...

ERIC: Allow Employer Sponsored Health Plans to Electronically Deliver AEOB

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The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), a nonprofit that represents the largest employers who are sponsors of employer sponsored health plans, responded to the request for information on the advanced...

How Massachusetts’ Benchmark Impacted Healthcare Cost Growth

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Massachusetts’ statewide benchmark for healthcare cost growth has generally helped curb increases in healthcare spending, but its influence has dwindled over time due to poor accountability...

Community Health Plans Lowered Consumer Healthcare Spending in 2022

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Alliance of Community Health Plan (ACHP) payers have secured lower healthcare spending for members in 2022 through premium adjustments, efforts related to prescription drug pricing, and more, according...

Elevance Health Will Acquire Specialty Pharmacy To Treat Chronic Diseases

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Elevance Health has announced plans to acquire a comprehensive specialty pharmacy for patients with complex and chronic diseases. “As a trusted, lifetime health partner, the acquisition of...

Banner|Aetna Health Plan Streamlines Bill Format to Improve Medical Billing

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Updated 11/14/2022: The title of this article has been updated to include the Banner|Aetna name. A previous version of the title referred to the plan as an Aetna health plan. Banner|Aetna has...

37% of People Switched Health Insurance Plans During Perinatal Period

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More than a third of individuals with continuous coverage switched health insurance plans during the 12 months before or after giving birth, a study published in JAMA Network Open found. Switching...

Report Urges CMS to Increase Oversight of Medicare Advantage Marketing

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After receiving evidence of deceptive marketing practices by Medicare Advantage plans, the Senate Finance Committee has offered recommendations to CMS for reducing marketing complaints and preventing...

AMA: 79% of Medicare Advantage Markets Have Little Competition

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Nearly 80 percent of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) had highly concentrated Medicare Advantage markets, highlighting the lack of competition in the commercial health insurance market. The...

Better Access to Health Insurance Coverage Boosted Healthcare Use

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One in five Americans received regular healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased access to health insurance coverage resulting from enhanced marketplace subsidies and Medicaid...

Employers Juggle High Healthcare Spending, Hiring Challenges in 2022

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Employers are looking for answers as they face an ever-steeper healthcare spending trajectory and hiring challenges in the post-pandemic environment, according to a survey from the National Alliance of...

Medicare Advantage Offers Better Access to Behavioral Healthcare Than FFS

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Medicare Advantage plans may better equipped to provide behavioral healthcare services to Medicare beneficiaries than fee-for-service Medicare, a Better Medicare Alliance report found. The research...

2022 Employee Contributions Trends in Employer Sponsored Health Plans

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Annual family 2022 premiums will average $22,463, with employees in employer sponsored health plans contributing on average $6,106, the annual Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Employer Health Benefits...

Dialysis Triples Healthcare Spending for Members with Chronic Diseases

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Dialysis increased monthly spending for privately-covered members with chronic diseases by approximately 292 percent, according to a study published in JAMA Open Network. The researchers drew their...