Revenue Cycle and Payer News 9-26-2018

TOPICS:

Posted By: Annmarie Budniak September 26, 2018

WellCare Completes Acquisition Of Meridian
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (@wellcare_health) announced that, effective September 1, 2018, it completed its acquisition of Meridian Health Plan of Michigan, Inc., Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc., and MeridianRx, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) (collectively, “Meridian”) following the receipt of all required regulatory approvals. With the closing of the acquisition, Meridian is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of WellCare.

Judge rules for UnitedHealthcare in Medicare overpayment case
The StarTribune reports that a federal judge has backed UnitedHealthcare’s argument that a 2014 Medicare rule designed to recover overpayments to insurers would have wrongly resulted in underpaying the health plans. As a result, Judge Rosemary Collyer of the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., vacated the rule, which she said violated a statutory requirement for actuarial equivalence while also departing from prior government policies.

U.S. Department of Justice Grants Clearance to Cigna’s Acquisition of Express Scripts
Cigna Corporation (@cigna) and Express Scripts Holding Company announced that the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has cleared their pending merger, terminating the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

Cigna Announces Cigna Ventures with $250 Million to Fund Transformative Innovation and Growth for Health Care
Global health service company Cigna (@cigna) announced the launch of Cigna Ventures, a corporate venture fund focused on transformative and innovative health care companies. Cigna has committed $250 million of capital to Cigna Ventures to invest in promising startups and growth-stage companies that are unlocking new growth possibilities in health care and will bring improved care quality, affordability, choice, and greater simplicity to customers and clients. Cigna Ventures is focused on companies across three strategic areas: insights and analytics; digital health and retail; and care delivery/management.

Payment Matters
Tune in to hear leading payments expert Jeff Lin (@jeffblin) chat with industry experts and thought leaders on the latest trends, regulations, and innovations impacting the healthcare payments landscape. He’ll tackle real issues happening in healthcare payments including the new expectations of consumers, the increasing risks associated with security and compliance and what the latest political debate really means for providers, payers, and consumers. Jeff and his guests will bring fresh perspectives on how providers, payers, and consumers are all tackling the evolving healthcare payments market. On this episode, Lin is joined by Joe Clark, CEO of Sierra Pacific Orthopedics Clinic. Joe explains how the clinic leveraged technology, staff training and business best practices to automate over eighty percent of patient collections.

Amazon, Berkshire, JPMorgan’s healthcare venture names COO
The newly formed healthcare venture of Amazon.com Inc, Berkshire Hathaway Inc and JPMorgan Chase & Co recently hired Jack Stoddard as chief operating officer. Stoddard was previously general manager for digital health at Comcast Corp.

Health Insurance Company Presidents Among Most Powerful Women 2018

Anthem President & CEO Gail Boudreaux named #5 on Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women 2018.

Aetna President Karen Lynch #15 on  Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women 2018.

Anthem, Inc. Recognized as Leader in Corporate Sustainability on Prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI)
Anthem, Inc. (@AnthemInc) was recently named to the 2018 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), a recognition of the company’s commitment to creating a better healthcare future by supporting strong communities, equal opportunities and a healthier environment for all. Anthem is recognized on the DJSI as a Health Care Providers & Services company. The DJSI represents the gold standard for corporate sustainability and is based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance. The DJSI is published annually by S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM, a sustainable asset management firm.

UnitedHealth Group Named to Dow Jones Sustainability North America and World Indices for 20th Consecutive Year
UnitedHealth Group (@UnitedHealthGrp) has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI NA) and the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI W) for 2018 and ranked No. 1 in the Health Care and Providers & Services Sector. This marks 20 consecutive years the company has been named to the indices, beginning in 1999 when the rankings were established.

Three New Leaders Join AHIP Senior Executive Team
America’s Health Insurance Plans (@AHIPCoverage) has added three new leaders to its executive team. These leaders further expand AHIP’s deep bench of policy, advocacy, strategy, and operational experts who are committed to health care solutions that work to improve affordability, choice, and value for all Americans:

In State News:

Blue Cross will stop covering OxyContin in Tennessee next year
The Tennessean reports the largest health insurance company in Tennessee will stop covering OxyContin prescriptions next year as part of sweeping policy changes intended to combat opioid addiction and make pain pills less valuable on the black market.

Aetna Announces CEO to Lead New Aetna Medicaid Plan in Kansas
Aetna (@AetnaNews) has named Keith Wisdom as the Chief Executive Officer for Aetna Better Health® of Kansas, Aetna’s Medicaid health plan in the state. Aetna Better Health was recently selected by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to offer Medicaid benefits to enrollees statewide in the KanCare Medicaid managed care program starting on January 1, 2019.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia Offers Innovative Virtual Diabetes Clinic for Consumers with Type 2 Diabetes
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia is taking an innovative approach to helping its consumers who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes manage their condition to improve their health through a new virtual diabetes clinic with a smartphone app and monitoring tools.

Insurance Companies Help out During Hurricane Florence:

Health Plans Respond to Hurricane Florence
AHIP recommends that people impacted by Hurricane Florence contact their local health insurance provider for more information. This contact information can be found on their health plan member card or on their insurance provider’s website.

Anthem

Aetna Announces Additional Hurricane Florence Resources
Aetna is offering additional assistance to members in Maryland, Georgia and Washington, D.C. ahead of Hurricane Florence making landfall. Earlier this week, Aetna modified its policies for members in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Capital Blue Cross

UnitedHealth Group Donates $1.5 Million to Help Residents of the Carolinas Affected by Hurricane Florence
UnitedHealth Group and its UnitedHealthcare and Optum businesses are donating $1.5 million to help residents of North Carolina and South Carolina recover and rebuild from Hurricane Florence. UnitedHealth Group will donate $1 million to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund and $500,000 to the One SC Fund.

Upcoming Events:

National Conferences on Medicare, Medicaid and Duals
When: October 14-18, 2018
Register for this event.
Twitter: @AHIPCoverage
Event Hashtag: #AHIPMMD

National Conferences on Medicare, Medicaid and Duals – This fall, take a few days out of the office. Then take home exceptional insight that translates to your organization, your mission, and the communities you serve. You’ll meet experts from across the health care universe including leadership from health plans, government agencies, health care providers, academia, and other stakeholders. To help you plan your #AHIPMMD experience, see all the speakers, sessions, and topics on our agenda to-date.