UHC appears to use misleading advertising in CT
Plus: Republicans take aim at big insurance in debate
Good morning and happy Friday. Welcome to the Friday Pulse Check from Fulcrum Strategies.
In the news:
Advocacy groups report misleading UHC advertising to FTC and CMS
As we continue to roll on through the open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage plans, several advocacy groups, are calling out UnitedHealthcare for misleading advertising in Connecticut for their dually eligible special needs plans. In their letter to the Federal Trade Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, National Health Law Program, Disability Rights Connecticut, and National Disability Rights Network said the advertisements are aimed at dually eligible individuals and that they advertise extra benefits under a Medicare Advantage plan such as dental or vision. In Connecticut, all Medicaid and D-SNP patients are eligible for dental cleanings and routine vision exams without the need for a Medicare Advantage plan. Read more from Becker’s Payer Issues.
LIVE UnitedHealth Group stock price: UNH 0.00%↑
Republicans take aim at big insurance on debate stage
During this week’s debate on NewsNation and SiriusXM, Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy shared some ideas for reforming our healthcare system. DeSantis joined former President Donald Trump in saying he was going to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Ramaswamy said it was time to end anti-trust exemptions for health insurance companies. Read more from Becker’s Payer Issues and read the debate transcript from Rev.
Related: Biden Wants States to Ensure Obamacare Plans Cover Enough Doctors and Hospitals - KFF Health News
Related:
Pulse Check on the Candidates: Nikki Haley
We are continuing our series on the FLATLINING Podcast which takes a look at the healthcare policies of the presidential candidates. One of the Republicans who has some concrete ideas is former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Other articles of interest:
Opinion: Ready to Respond to the Trump Obamacare Bruhaha - RealClear Health
Dodging the Medicare Enrollment Deadline Can Be Costly - KFF Health News
Michigan expands Medicaid coverage to include community health workers services - CBS News Detroit
HIPAA Violation of the Week: Missouri AG violating HIPAA by prosecuting transgender laws, lawsuit says - Becker’s Hospital Review
California Watch: CA gave a bankrupt hospital $50 million; it is still struggling to re-open - The Times-Standard via Microsoft Start
What would a Cigna / Humana merger mean for your practice?
That is the question Ron and I discussed this week on the FLATLINING Podcast from Fulcrum Strategies. Any time insurance companies go out of business or merge or sell, it can create headaches for physician groups.
Remember when Brighthealth shut its doors? If you missed filing your claims, that money is gone.
So what could change at your practice as a result of a Cigna / Humana merger? What will change about your reimbursement or patient mix? We talked about it this week. Listen below on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.
LIVE Cigna stock price: CI 0.00%↑
LIVE Humana stock price: HUM 0.00%↑
Ep. 72 - Possible Cigna / Humana Merger
This week on the FLATLINING Podcast from Fulcrum Strategies, economist and CEO Ron Howrigon and Matthew Handley discuss the recent news that health insurance giants Cigna and Humana may merge. They discuss why Cigna's stock price has failed to rebound since the news and why Ron thinks this deal will be approved by the FTC.
Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pandora, TuneIn, and Audible.
Have a good weekend,
Matthew