Tag: Humana

Aetna

• Aetna is implementing a double-digit premium increase for California small businesses:
  http://dailycaller.com/2014/12/19/small-businesses-get-double-digit-rate-hikes-in-california/
• CT spending bill may hurt insurance companies like Aetna and Cigna:
  

  One of the many controversial riders put in the massive bill would erode a safeguard in the Affordable Care Act that involves risk “corridors,” which are designed to stabilize insurance premiums in the first few years of the law’s implementation.

  http://ctmirror.org/connecticut-has-winners-losers-in-nations-1-1-trillion-spending-plan/

Cigna

• Merrill Lynch’s Top Health Care Stock Picks for 2015:
  

  Compared to its peers, is expected to face the least headwinds and is in a good position to grow, according to Merrill Lynch. The firm rated the company as its top pick for 2015, as it is trading at a 2.6-times discount to its peers. Although the company has underperformed the group year-to-date from poor Health Segment results, Merrill Lynch believes the company is positioned to outperform going forward. Shares of Cigna were up less than 1% at $104.90. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $109.18 and a 52-week trading range of $73.47 to $105.60.

  http://247wallst.com/healthcare-business/2014/12/19/merrill-lynch-top-healthcare-stock-picks-for-2015/

• CIGNA RECOGNIZED AS TOP PERFORMING PPO PLAN IN 2014 BY THE MARYLAND HEALTH CARE COMMISSION
  http://newsroom.cigna.com/NewsReleases/Cigna-Recognized-as-Top-Performing-PPO-Plan-in-2014-by-the-Maryland-Health-Care-Commission.htm

Highmark

• Highmark customers feel manipulated by Penn:
  

  For months it has run TV commercials and newspaper ads warning that Highmark insurance customers could lose access to in-network treatment at UPMC on Jan. 1 if they don’t switch insurance plans. Now the company, according to an email Friday from its chief medical officer to its physicians, will launch an outreach campaign this week to tell the Highmark customers who stayed put that they — and their insurance dollars — are welcome at UPMC, so long as those customers are currently under UPMC care.

  http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2014/12/16/UPMC-s-messages-Highmark-customers-are-feeling-manipulated/stories/201412200004

Humana

• Humana on a 52 week high due to strategic alliances:
  

  Humana had entered into a number of Accountable Care agreements over the last two months in order to enhance its membership as well as to deliver improved healthcare to its members.

  http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/158079/humana-hum-scales-a-52week-high-on-strategic-alliances

• St. Luke Health System joining Humana networks:
  http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/12/15/saint-lukes-joins-forces-with-humana-a-579007.html

United

• United honored for their community focus:
  

  The annual initiative recognizes companies that improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business. The Minnetonka, Minn.-based company ranked first in the health care industry for the second year in a row, and has been recognized every year since Points of Light began the initiative in 2012.

  http://qctimes.com/business/unitedhealth-honored-for-community-work/article_a6fcdca8-832c-53c2-9542-1282d958936f.html

• Hawaii nation’s healthiest state, Mississippi its unhealthiest
  http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/10/3863866/hawaii-is-nations-healthiest-state.html

Aetna

• Karen Rohan appointed Aetna President:
  http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20141202/NEWS03/141209953?tags=%7C307%7C74%7C78

Cigna

• Cigna EVP sells 12,000 shares on December 1st:
  http://www.mideasttime.com/cigna-evp-unloads-1233120-in-stock-ci/283244/
• Cigna has the lowest current ratio in managed health care:
  

  Below are the three companies in the Managed Health Care industry with the lowest current ratios. Current ratio is useful to get an idea of how quickly a company can repay its short-term liabilities with its short-term assets. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. CIGNA ranks lowest with a a current ratio of 0.2. Following is UnitedHealth with a a current ratio of 0.7. Aetna ranks third lowest with a a current ratio of 0.8.

  http://www.mysmartrend.com/news-briefs/news-watch/cigna-has-lowest-current-ratio-managed-health-care-industry-ci-unh-aet-uam-gt

• Cigna to pay Vermont 400k in fines:
  

  DFR Commissioner Susan L. Donegan said today that the company will pay $342,000 in penalties to the general fund and $50,000 to reimburse the department for the cost of the investigation.

  http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2014/12/03/348848.htm

Highmark

• Highmark CEO stops coverage on Morcellator procedures due to cancer risk
  http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/12/03/insurer-ceo-morcellator-decision-personal/

Humana

• How Humana plans to expend Medicare business:
  

  Humana offers Medicare Advantage plans to seniors in a number of regions across the United States, and it is a core business line for the company. Medicare accounts for about 76 percent of Humana’s total insurance premium revenue, according to the company.

  http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2014/12/04/how-humana-plans-to-expand-its-medicare-business.html?iana=ind_health

• Humana providing data to PearlDiver Database
  

  The insurance giant has agreed to add its information to PearlDiver’s database, a resource that at the last count contained 1.1 billion HIPAA-compliant patient records.

  http://www.fiercebiotechit.com/story/humana-agrees-contribute-information-pearldivers-database/2014-12-01

United Health Care

• United Health bullish on 2015
  http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20141202/NEWS/312029968/unitedhealth-bullish-on-2015-long-term-future

 

• Cigna was planning on launching a dental health rating system in 2015 – until the New York State Dental Society stopped the plan.
  http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2014-archive/october/cigna-launches-rating-system-that-ada-calls-scientifically-flawed
• Highmark executive pay structure under fire (more industry salary discussion in the article)
  http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7153144-74/health-million-highmark
• United Health has a executive shake up:
  

  The nation’s largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group, announced changes Wednesday to its lineup of top executives, including the departure of executive vice president (CEO) Gail Boudreaux.

  http://www.postbulletin.com/archives/unitedhealth-group-shakes-up-top-executives/article_b9dbc495-6e09-57fc-9b6b-1297ac663a83.html

• Humana’s revenues are up, but profit is down 21%
  http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/humana-revenues-soar-in-q3-but-profits-plunge/333149/
• Samsung announces partnership with several health companies including Aetna and Cigna
  

  What’s not clear here is how well these platforms will be able to integrate data into EMRs. With Epic Systems being the only EMR vendor working with any of these players to date, linking up any of these platforms smoothly with other EMRs is still in question. Still, it seems likely the IT powerhouses like Apple, Samsung and Microsoft will soon find robust EMR partners that can link up with their platforms. It’s not a question of if, but when.

  http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/samsung-announces-24-health-it-partners-including-cleveland-clinic-cigna/333111/

• Highmark conducting study to see if lifestyle factors into MS diagnosis:
  http://www.bcbs.com/healthcare-news/plans/highmark-innovative-pilot-to-learn-if-lifestyle-factors-can-predict-ms-symptoms.html
• How do national insurance companies compare on claims denial?
  

  In its most recent report from 2013, the association found Medicare most frequently denied claims, at 4.92 percent of the time; followed by Aetna, with a denial rate of 1.5 percent; United Healthcare, 1.18 percent; and Cigna, 0.54 percent. But the report also shows significant year-to-year variability. In 2008, Aetna denied claims 6.8 percent of the time; Cigna, 3.44 percent; and United, 2.68 percent of the time.

  http://www.4-traders.com/CIGNA-CORPORATION-12068/news/CIGNA–How-do-national-health-insurers-compare-on-denying-claims-19391512/

• Highmark expands cost estimator tool:
  

  The calculator includes prices for more than 1,600 medical services, a fourfold increase in the number of estimates that were previously available. The care cost estimator is available to all Highmark PPO and EPO plan members under age 65 and will soon expand to include Highmark’s Medicare Advantage plan members.

  http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2014/11/11/highmark-expands-cost-estimator-tool.html

 

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