Dive Brief: U.S. health insurance markets have become increasingly concentrated over the past half decade, according to a new report from the American Medical Association, which argues payer M&A results in rising costs and fewer care options for patients, but largely excludes the impact of provider consolidation in driving those trends. Almost three-fourths of metropolitan… Read More »
Dive Brief: Hospitals enrolled in the 340B drug discount program may no longer be eligible after the pandemic shifted their payer mix, according to a Wednesday letter the American Hospital Association sent to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Depleted patient volumes and canceled elective surgeries lowered the proportion of hospital patients who are Medicaid and Medicare… Read More »
Health Care Service Corporation, a licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association with some 16 million members covered by health plans in five states, announced this week that it is working with Epic to build a bi-directional exchange platform to connect payers with providers. WHY IT MATTERSThe collaboration, which HCSC says is the… Read More »
As consumers take on more responsibility for their healthcare bills and expect on-demand services from mobile devices, providers and payers need to up their game. Consumer experience with healthcare organizations will extend to how they pay for services and the ease with which they handle growing financial responsibilities with a variety of healthcare organizations, according… Read More »
Editor’s Note: This was another busy year, from Amazon making bold moves, to a judge deciding the fate of the Affordable Care Act, to vertical mergers between insurers and PBMs and both CMS and insurers touting the advantages of Medicare Advantage plans. As we usher in the New Year, here’s a look back at 2018’s… Read More »