Prior authorizations were the most costly and time-consuming transactions for providers in 2019 and are among the top reasons patient care is delayed. As cash-strapped hospitals and health systems strive to meet patient, payer and provider needs, the demand for AI technologies to increase efficiency and improve the patient experience has become critical. [Read more…]

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a pioneer and global leader in cell-free DNA testing, today announced that the second largest commercial health plan in the United States has extended coverage of non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) to all singleton pregnancies. This announcement comes on the heels of the largest U.S. health plan’s expansion earlier this week. Natera now estimates that over 90% of all commercially-covered lives will have average risk NIPT coverage. [Read more…]

Oscar, the first health insurance company built around a full stack technology platform and a relentless focus on serving our members, today announced it has hired R. Scott Blackley as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective March 16, 2021. Scott will serve on Oscar’s leadership team and report to Chief Executive Officer Mario Schlosser.

Scott has been serving as the Chief Financial Officer of Capital One since May 2016. Prior to that, he served as Capital One’s Principal Accounting Officer and Controller for five years. Before joining Capital One, Scott held various executive positions at Fannie Mae, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and KPMG, LLP.

Scott is succeeding Sid Sankaran, who is leaving the company in Spring 2021 to become Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of SiriusPoint, a global reinsurance company. Sid will become Vice Chairman at Oscar upon Scott’s joining and will join the Board effective June 30, 2021.

Economic activity in the services sector grew in November for the sixth month in a row, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM® Report On Business®. [Read more…]

A new survey released today by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) in collaboration with research-led consulting firm Heart + Mind Strategies LLC found that more than half of Americans (54%) are experiencing high or very high levels of stress. [Read more…]

The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) today announced that the Mutual Protection Trust (MPT), the organization’s core product, has earned another A+ (Superior) Rating with a Stable Outlook from A.M. Best Company, a global full-service credit rating agency dedicated to serving the financial and healthcare service industries. This is the 14th year running that the organization has achieved this distinction. [Read more…]

Employer Direct Healthcare (EDH), a market-leader in the surgical benefit space, announced the hiring of Jerry Fiala as a Vice President of Business Development.

Prior to joining EDH, Fiala provided leadership during the successful implementation of Cleveland Clinic’s strategy of direct contractual engagement with large self-funded employers on a national scale, which included services such as surgical travel programs, online second opinion consultations, and executive health examinations.

Health Alliance Plan (HAP), a Michigan-based nonprofit health plan, is partnering with Peerfit®, a digital health technology company, to bring Peerfit Move to its Medicare Advantage members. Peerfit Move encourages Medicare members to maintain an active lifestyle by providing flexible fitness options and facilitating social connections. The current Peerfit network has more than 290 facilities in Michigan and more than 10,500 nationwide. [Read more…]

WellSpark Health and LAZ Parking, one of the largest parking companies in the country, have partnered to create a next generation employee benefit program in support of the modern workforce. The innovative program is built to understand and respond to the realities people face in our complex world when managing their life and health. [Read more…]

Telehealth claim lines1 increased 2,980 percent nationally from September 2019 to September 2020, rising from 0.16 percent of medical claim lines in September 2019 to 5.07 percent in September 2020, according to new data from FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. However, from month to month, the telehealth share of medical claim lines fell 16.5 percent nationally from 6.07 percent in August 2020 to 5.07 percent in September 2020. The data represent the privately insured population, excluding Medicare and Medicaid. [Read more…]

Chubb announced a new report, “Digital Business Accelerated,” which explores how small and mid-sized businesses are approaching an evolving, digital-first marketplace – a transformation made all the more critical by COVID-19. [Read more…]

Paradigm, the industry leader in solving catastrophic and complex health care challenges and improving lives, today announced the results of a study1 conducted by an independent actuarial firm. Among other key findings, the study shows that catastrophic workers’ compensation cases managed by Paradigm achieved lifetime medical savings of 32%, and a return to work rate nearly six times higher than industry standards. The study examines a sample of Paradigm-managed cases from the last seven years. It consistently found improved cost and clinical outcomes compared to conventional case management industry standards. [Read more…]

WellCare announced today its Medicare Advantage plans in Florida received a 4-Star Rating out of a possible 5 Stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) annual Star Quality Ratings for rating year 2021. This marks the fourth year in a row WellCare of Florida has received a 4-Star rating from CMS for its Medicare Advantage plans in the state. [Read more…]

Manulife Singapore will be offering each healthcare worker in Singapore up to four complimentary admission passes[1] to the Manulife Sky Nets – Walking at Jewel Changi Airport from 25 November to 25 December 2020. The month-long initiative is held in support of SG Cares Giving Week 2020, and a gesture of Manulife Singapore’s appreciation to frontline staff, for their tremendous efforts amid the pandemic this year. [Read more…]

InComm Payments, a leading global payments technology company, today released the results of its Medicaid subscribers research, which found that many Medicaid members are prioritizing healthy habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was based on responses from 1,700 U.S. Medicaid subscribers during the month of October. [Read more…]

“Can you please pass the mashed potatoes and do you have enough Medicare coverage?” This may be how the conversation goes for the 59% of people having an in person Thanksgiving this year, according to a new healthinsurance.com national survey. The survey reveals that 4 in 10 have recently discussed their parents Medicare coverage. Of those, a whopping 74% have encouraged their parents to increase their Medicare Coverage during this 2020 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period which ends December 7th. The survey reveals that 42% of those on Medicare have or will explore changing their current Medicare coverage. [Read more…]

Having demonstrated material impact in its first 3 years of operation, Equality Health, a comprehensive value-based care delivery system, announced today that it is expanding its operations into Texas, partnering with health plans and primary care providers to enable improved cost and quality performance in value-based contracts. Equality Health has contracted with healthcare organizations across the state of Texas, with its initial efforts focused in Houston, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. [Read more…]

As COVID-19 surges across the nation, a new coalition of America’s leading provider and health advocacy organizations and states are launching an unprecedented, unified effort to help people stay safe from COVID-19 and increase awareness about financial help to enroll in coverage under the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid. Increased awareness is critical to protect people during our nation’s worst health crisis. [Read more…]

Tufts Health Plan Foundation today announced 64 community organizations will share $900,000 in funding to help in on-going COVID-19 response efforts. The nonprofit organizations focus on urgent needs in communities, especially those disproportionately affected by the virus. The funding, first announced in June, is in addition to the $1 million in COVID-19-related grants awarded earlier this year. [Read more…]

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — With Open Enrollment underway, a new ValuePenguin.com analysis has found that in 2021, Americans will spend an average of $496 per month, or $5,952 per year on health insurance, if they purchase a Health Insurance Marketplace plan. There was a slight 1.59% decrease in premiums from the 2020 plan year, but analysts found significant variations across states, and health insurance plan type:

— West Virginia, New York, Wyoming, Vermont and Louisiana residents pay the highest health insurance premiums in the country — premiums here are 43.14%, 41%, 34.73%, 30.50% and 26.45% above the national average.
— New Hampshire, Maryland, New Mexico, Minnesota and Washington residents pay the lowest health insurance premiums in the country — premiums here are 32.55%, 30.19%, 29.68%, 27.26% and 20.66% below the national average.
— Indiana, New Jersey and Delaware had the largest increase in health insurance costs year over year — 10%, 9% and 8% respectively ($42, $43 and $37).
— Iowa, Maryland and Maine had the largest decrease in health insurance costs year over year — 20%, 17%, and 15% respectively ($110, $69 and $78).
— Notably, New Jersey saw rates increase 9% from 2020, after the introduction of their new state run health insurance marketplace. Pennsylvania, which also introduced a state run health insurance marketplace, saw health insurance costs decrease 8% from 2020.
— The most restrictive health insurance policies – namely HMO (health maintenance organization) and POS (point of service) saw the biggest drop in premiums, compared to other types of plans, falling close to 10.67% and 9.04% compared to 2020. By metal tier, Bronze tier health plans saw the sharpest decrease in premiums, falling 6.86% compared to the 2020 plan year.

According to ValuePenguin.com Health Insurance expert Sterling Price, “Despite decreases in average premiums nationally, most Americans will see their premiums increase slightly for the 2021 plan year, due to COVID-19.” He adds, “Insurers are anticipating a surge in medical claims from the many Americans who delayed surgeries or medical procedures in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the COVID-19 Vaccination. These factors have led to some insurers adding a slight bump to premiums for the 2021 plan year.”

ValuePenguin.com analysts looked at the thousands of Health Insurance plans available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Using the rates and premiums for each plan, averages were calculated for a variety of variables such as metal tier, family size, county and state. To view the full report, visit: https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-cost-of-health-insurance

About ValuePenguin.com: ValuePenguin.com, part of LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), is a personal finance website that conducts in-depth research and provides objective analysis to help guide consumers to the best financial decisions. ValuePenguin focuses on value, assessing whether the return of a particular decision is worth the cost or risk of that option, and how this stacks up with the other possible choices they may have. For more information, please visit www.valuepenguin.com, like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @ValuePenguin.

Additional Information: https://www.valuepenguin.com/health-insurance

SOURCE ValuePenguin.com

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) received the 2020 Health Equity Award for their ability to engage and connect with members via text message during Governor Newsom’s social isolation order this year. The award was given by mPulse Mobile, a leader in conversational AI solutions for healthcare, during their annual Activate Awards.

mPulse Mobile awarded IEHP the 2020 Health Equity Award for their ability to engage and connect with members via text message during Governor Newsom’s social isolation order this year. [Read more…]

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Healthfirst, New York’s largest not-for-profit health insurer* serving nearly 1.6 million members, is offering new ways for people to connect with Healthfirst during the 2020 Annual and Open Enrollment Periods, with options—including online, via video, by SMS text, or by phone—that are convenient and can be accessed from the safety and comfort of home. [Read more…]