News
‘The System Is Undeniably Broken’: More Insurers Sue CMS Over Medicare Advantage Stars
2+ hour, 24+ min ago (416+ words) More insurers are filing lawsuits in an attempt to hike their Medicare Advantage quality scores after a court decision earlier this year exposed federal regulators to a new line of legal attacks. SCAN Health Plan and Alignment Healthcare both sued…...
ACA Plans Set For Another Year Of Premium Spikes, Preliminary Filings Show
5+ day, 41+ min ago (489+ words) Plans on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges are set for further premium increases next year, a new report shows. Analysts at KFF dug into preliminary rate filings from payers for the 2027 plan year and found a median proposed premium increase…...
Healthcare Costs Poised To Jump 9% In 2027 As Health Plans Blame AI Adoption, Drug Prices
3+ week, 6+ day ago (571+ words) Health plans expect the cost of treating patients to climb in 2027, projecting the highest medical cost trend in nearly two decades with a 9% rise in commercial health costs, according to a new analysis from PwC. Seventy percent of health plans…...
Humana Pulls Back The Curtain On Planning For 2027 MA Bids
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (903+ words) Get the latest health care news and updates for insurance brokers. Humana executives gave investors a peek Wednesday into the company’s thinking around the 2027 Medicare Advantage bid cycle as elevated costs continue to sting the industry. CEO Jim Rechtin said…...
Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve Access, Quality Of Care In Medicare Advantage Plans
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (360+ words) Get the latest health care news and updates for insurance brokers. Pennsylvania Republican John Joyce, M.D., introduced the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 (PDF) on April 20. The bill aims to “directly address” barriers to coverage and treatment, according to an April…...
Insurers Have Eliminated 11% Of Prior Authorizations Under Reform Pledge
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (560+ words) Get the latest health care news and updates for insurance brokers. Last summer, the insurance industry broadly agreed to reform a major healthcare pain point: prior authorization. Now, two of the industry’s leading organizations are offering a look at progress…...
UnitedHealthcare To Slash Prior Authorization Use For Many Rural Providers
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (350+ words) Get the latest health care news and updates for insurance brokers. UnitedHealthcare said it’s going to eliminate most requirements for prior authorization for medical care for about 1,500 rural hospitals and their affiliated health care providers by this fall. The change…...
Hospitals Warn CMS Pay Hike Fails To Offset Inflation, Rising Uninsured Rates
2+ mon, 4+ week ago (205+ words) Get the latest health care news and updates for insurance brokers. Hospitals would receive a 2.4% rate increase for inpatient services in fiscal year 2027 under a proposal announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Friday. If enacted, it would…...
NABIP Secures Major Wins for Agents and Beneficiaries in CMS Final Medicare Rule
2+ mon, 4+ week ago (423+ words) Get the latest health care news and updates for insurance brokers. The National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) today announced significant policy victories for agents, brokers, and the millions of Medicare beneficiaries they serve following the release of…...
BCBS Association Asks CMS To Close Medicare Advantage Fraud Gaps, Regulate AI Coding Tools
3+ mon, 6+ day ago (352+ words) Get the latest health care news and updates for insurance brokers. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association submitted a wide-ranging letter to CMS on March 30 in response to the agency’s information request on its Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare,…...