Recently, a number of news and announcements were made in the healthcare market of the US. From Cigna’s preventive care which is back to pre-pandemic levels to Blue Cross Blue Shield’s new rule to bar competition, let’s have a look at the eight recent updates from commercial payers for ASCs.
- Centene: Centene named Drew Asher executive Vice President and CFO, effective May 7. He will report to Michael Neidorff, Centene Chairman, President, and CEO. Asher’s responsibilities will include overseeing Centene’s accounting, treasury, tax, actuarial services, health economics, enterprise performance excellence, financial planning, and procurement.
- Cigna: Cigna CEO David Cordani said preventive care procedures including mammograms, colonoscopies, childhood vaccinations and cervical cancer screenings among its members are back to levels not seen since before the COVID-19 shutdowns of early 2020.
- Payers Report Profits :Seven for-profit health insurers saw their revenues and profits increase during the first quarter of the 2021 fiscal year. Top health insurance companies like UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and Anthem reported billion-dollar profits that doubled year over year.
- No Surprise Act Compliance: Healthcare providers and insurers must make changes to their processes and technology systems to comply with the No Surprises Act by January 1, 2022 — a feat 95 percent of insurers are worried about achieving.
- Aetna-Sutter Collaboration: Aetna and Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health’s joint health plan is offering three new clinical programs for members. The joint venture offers both self-insured PPO and EPO commercial health plan products, as well as Aetna, offered fully insured products to employers in Northern California.
- BCBS : Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota announced it will continue to waive costs for in-network COVID-19 treatments through the end of the year. The treatment cost-waiver applies to all members in fully insured commercial plans, which encompass thousands of small to large businesses throughout the state; Minnesotans who purchase Blue Cross coverage on their own; and seniors enrolled in Medicare.
- Antitrust Settlement: According to The Wall Street Journal, a rule that limited competition between the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s 35 insurers is no more, a change stemming from a $2.7 billion antitrust settlement. The settlement resolves claims that the insurers violated antitrust laws by entering into an agreement not to compete with each other.
- United Health and Reno Agreement Talks: According to a News 4 article, UnitedHealthcare and Reno are attempting to reach an agreement to keep Renown in-network for UnitedHealthcare and Health Plan of Nevada members. As the largest insurance company in the nation, many doctors in Nevada have accepted their coverage and collaboration.