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Healthplan – Cigna in the Headlines: 10 Recent Developments | Top 10 Healthplan News Of The Week

1. Cigna in the Headlines: 10 Recent Developments- 

From international growth to rebranding, here are 10 stories about the Bloomfield, Conn.- based insurer Becker’s has reported since Sept. 7. 

1. Cigna CEO David Cordani said the company sees “tremendous opportunities for growth around benefits” in the Middle East, Bloomberg reported Oct. 5. 

2. The payer added access to mobile platform DocGo for customers in New York and New Jersey. 

3. Cigna launched a new concierge service, Pathwell, combining elements from Evernorth, its health services arm, to treat complex conditions, it said Sept. 28.

2. Blue Shield of California Files Lawsuit Seeking Public Records in Medi-Cal Dispute

Blue Shield of California filed a lawsuit alleging that California violated public records laws by not releasing documents related to the state’s Medicaid contract awards, the insurer said Oct. 7. 

Blue Shield of California lost Medi-Cal contracts in all 13 counties in which it bid. Since the state’s Aug. 25 decision, It has filed an appeal with California’s Health Care Services department, accusing rivals Anthem Blue Cross, Molina and Health Net of failing to disclose penalties against them.

3. 13 Payers Entering, Exiting Markets

With the Medicare annual enrollment period quickly approaching, payers nationwide are greatly expanding Medicare Advantage plans and benefits. These are 13 recent payer moves to exit or enter new markets reported by Becker’s since Oct. 1:

Bright Health said Oct. 11 it is exiting the individual and family markets in 15 states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The company will also only offer Medicare Advantage plans in California and Florida.

Humana said Oct. 11 it is expanding its Medicare Advantage plans to four counties in the Baltimore area. The payer is also expanding MA plans to three counties in Rhode Island, expanding Medicare HMO plans to 260 new counties and introducing Medicare LPPO plans in 260 new counties. Dual special needs plans will also be expanded to 184 new counties in South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

4. Home Depot Among Objectors of $2.67B BCBS Antitrust Settlement

Attorneys representing Blue Cross Blue Shield members in a $2.67 billion antitrust settlement with the BCBS Association asked a federal appeals court Oct. 5 to speed up the objection process.

Four appeals to the settlement were filed Sept. 7 on behalf of six objectors, including Home Depot.

5. How the Biggest Payers’ Medicare Advantage Plans Fared in CMS Star Ratings

Humana and UnitedHealthcare scored the highest median ratings of the nation’s six largest payers in CMS’ 2023 Medicare Advantage star ratings, according to CMS data. 

CMS released the ratings Oct. 6. The average star rating among plans, weighted by enrollment, was 4.15 stars, down from 4.37 stars in 2022, according to CMS. 

These numbers are from CMS Part C and Part D performance data. Plans without star ratings or that are too new to have ratings were excluded. 

Hospital IT – News Hospital IT 20 OCT

1. ONC Announces Leap in Health IT Awardees Centered on Health Equity

ONC has announced two awards totaling $2 million under the Leading Edge Acceleration Projects in Health Information Technology (LEAP in Health IT) funding opportunity to advance health equity.

LEAP in Health IT awardees seek to create methods and tools that improve care delivery, advance research capabilities and promote interoperability.

“Our LEAP in Health IT awards are all about driving change and accelerating progress,” Steve Posnack, deputy national coordinator for health information technology, noted in a public statement. “I have no doubt that our 2022 awardees will continue this tradition and be laser focused on health equity enhancing solutions.”

2. Racial Disparities in EHR Family Health Information Present CDS Concern

Members of racial and ethnic minority groups had less available family health information (FHI) in the EHR, including cancer FHI, compared to White patients, according to a JAMA Network Open study that raises concern for identification disparities in clinical decision support (CDS) algorithms.

Researchers used EHR data from two healthcare systems to inform the potential impact of a CDS algorithm that aims to identify patients eligible for genetic evaluation for hereditary breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and/or colorectal cancers based on cancer FHI available in the EHR.

Spanish-speaking patients had less cancer FHI available in the EHR, and when available, it was less comprehensive compared to cancer FHI of English-speaking patients.

3. MEDITECH Expands Collaborative Environments for Health IT Development

MEDITECH has announced the expansion of Greenfield, an initiative that connects communities of partners and app developers to advance health IT development.

The vendor now provides two collaborative environments: Greenfield Alliance and Greenfield Workspace.

Greenfield Alliance is a new partner engagement initiative for organizations with proven products that complement, optimize, or extend the Expanse EHR.

4. Training, Interoperability Key for EHI – Electronic Health Information Sharing

In a recent ONC provider-focused workshop, participants noted training, technical capacity, and interoperability as the biggest challenges with electronic health information (EHI) sharing.

More than 200 people participated in the half-day workshop. Participants explored technical approaches and lessons learned related to sharing EHI consistent with 21st Century Cures Act information blocking regulations and other applicable laws.

The workshop also explored real-world industry examples of how organizations have implemented EHI-sharing workflows for authorized users, including patients.

5. Using Risk Stratification in Patient Engagement Strategies

As healthcare professionals continue to develop meaningful patient engagement strategies, they should consider using risk stratification to determine how and with which patient providers will engage.

Risk stratification is “the process of assigning a health risk status to a patient, and using the patient’s risk status to direct and improve care,” according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

“The goal of [risk stratification] is to help patients achieve the best health and quality of life possible by preventing chronic disease, stabilizing current chronic conditions, and preventing acceleration to higher-risk categories and higher associated costs.”

IT – Amazon Axes Glow Video-Calling Device for Kids | Top 5 IT News Of The week

1. Elon Musk Buying Twitter After All, the ‘Next Mark Zuckerberg’ and Fare Thee Well, Stadia

First he stepped in it when he waded into the Russia-Ukraine war with his version of a peace plan that Connie characterized as not very well-received. And then he finally said he’d buy Twitter after all. Twitter told us that the “Musk parties” sent them a letter expressing the billionaire’s intention to go through with the purchase, provided the trial between the two, which was scheduled to start October 17, did not take place. As Taylor and Harri said in their story, however, “given Musk’s chaotic nature, it’s possible that another wrench could be thrown into the works.”

2. How Fintech Startups are Leveraging Cloud Computing to Scale Securely

Cloud computing in fintech has become an emerging trend that has had a significant impact on the needs of the financial sector and has given it a tremendous opportunity to grow. The global market size of the fintech sector is expected to reach $124.3 Bn by the end of 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 23.84%.

3. Uber, Doordash Plunge After Labor Department Proposes 

The Biden Labor Department released a proposal Tuesday that could pave the way for regulators and courts to reclassify gig workers as employees rather than independent contractors.

The proposed rule, if adopted, could raise costs for companies like Lyft, Uber, Instacart and DoorDash that rely on contract workers to pick up shifts on their own schedules. Shares of Lyft fell 12% on Tuesday, while Uber dropped 10.4% and DoorDash shed 6%.

4. How Amazon’s Big Private-Label Business is Growing and Leaving Small Brands to Protect Against Knockoffs

Peak Design has been making camera bags and accessories for a dozen years, relying on Amazon for the bulk of its sales. Last year, founder and CEO Peter Dering discovered Amazon was selling a bag that looked strikingly similar to Peak’s top-selling product, the Everyday Sling Bag.

“They copied the general shape, they copied the access points, they copied the charcoal color, and they copied the trapezoidal logo badge,” Dering told CNBC. “But none of the fine details that make it a Peak Design bag were things that they could port over because those things take a lot more effort and cost.”

5. Apple, Goldman Sachs Introduce Interest-bearing Savings Accounts as Rates Rise

Apple will soon allow iPhone users to put credit card rewards from Apple Card and additional funds from separate bank accounts into an interest-bearing savings account.

In a press release Thursday, Apple said the feature is expected to launch in the “coming months,” and the FDIC-insured account will be administered by Goldman Sachs, the bank and lender behind the Apple Card. Apple said it isn’t announcing an annual yield yet as interest rates are moving rapidly.