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Humana bringing Medicare Advantage plan to 37 new counties in North Carolina
Humana has announced it will debut a new Medicare Advantage PPO plan in 37 rural counties in North Carolina, responding to market demand in the eastern part of the state.
The new Medicare option will be available during this year’s Medicare Advantage a…
Backus Hospital settles with government over disability discrimination allegations
Backus Hospital, a Hartford Healthcare facility based in Norwich, Connecticut, has settled with the federal government over allegations that it discriminated against a deaf patient, according to the U.S. Justice Department and the Department of Health …
AHA tells Congress that stricter merger laws may cause economic harm
Congress has been mulling changes to antitrust enforcement in the U.S., but the American Hospital Association is wary of any changes to the existing legal and regulatory framework for evaluating mergers and acquisitions, telling lawmakers in a letter t…
Vaccination linked to a reduction of more than a quarter million COVID-19 cases among seniors
COVID-19 vaccinations may have helped prevent hundreds of thousands of new COVID-19 infections and tens of thousands of deaths among seniors, finds a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Employers anticipate health costs rising 5% in 2022
Due largely to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and its continued effects on American healthcare, employers are expecting their health costs to rise more than 5% in 2022, according to a new Willis Towers Watson survey.
Air ambulance charges rise 28% in four years, analysis finds
Costs linked to helicopter air ambulance services among commercial insurers have risen 27.6% since 2017, a substantial increase that has inflated costs from $19,210 to $24,507 in 2020, according to a new analysis from FAIR Health.
Centene growing Medicare Advantage footprint by 26% in 2022
Centene, like other insurers before it, will be broadening its reach in the Medicare Advantage space in 2022, expanding into 327 new counties and three new states: Massachusetts, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
In all, this represents a 26% expansion of Centene…
Cigna expands Medicare Advantage plans for third consecutive year
For the third straight year, health insurer Cigna is expanding its Medicare Advantage plans, growing into 108 new counties and three new states — Connecticut, Oregon and Washington — which will increase its geographic presence by nearly 30%.
UnitedHealthcare to expand Medicare Advantage footprint in 2022
UnitedHealthcare, which already has significant market control with its Medicare Advantage plans, will strengthen its foothold in the space by expanding its MA plans in 2022, adding a potential 3.1 million members and reaching 94% of Medicare-eligible …
Merck says new COVID-19 medication cuts the risk of hospitalization and death
In an effort to push back against the still-ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, Merck, in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is touting the benefits of an investigational oral antiviral medication known as molnupiravir, saying it reduces the ris…
