Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More US Life Insurance Accounts Reinsured Overseas As Risks Grow
Bloomberg: US Life Insurers Have Shifted More General Account Risk Offshore
US life insurers have shifted more of their general account risk to entities abroad than in the US as of year-end, the first time that offshore reinsurance hubs have overtaken domestic ones for that business. Deals to cut the risk of US life insurers’ general accounts with offshore entities represented $1.06 trillion in reserves in 2025, accounting for nearly 52% of the industry’s total use of reinsurance, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence report published Friday. (Rajbhandari, 4/24)
Modern Healthcare: Cigna, Humana, Others To Standardize Prior Authorization Process
Major insurance companies are taking more steps to simplify the prior authorization process. Insurers including Centene, Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealth Group unit UnitedHealthcare will standardize electronic submission requirements for commonly preauthorized services across Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial insurance. Widespread adoption of the new standards is expected in January, according to a Friday news release from industry groups AHIP and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. (Tong, 4/24)
Bloomberg: BayMark Health Creditors To Take Control In Debt Restructuring Deal
BayMark Health Services creditors will take control of the provider of opioid addiction treatments, as part of a deal to restructure the company’s debt, according to people familiar with the matter. Private equity firm Webster Equity Partners will hand the keys of the business to lenders in exchange for cutting the company’s debt by more than 40%, the people familiar added, asking not to be identified discussing private information. (Garcia Perez, 4/24)
More health industry news from across the U.S. —
MPR News: In Minnesota’s Group Home Industry, 50 Deaths But Few Consequences
Ryan Riggs died alone by a chain link fence in the backyard of the group home that was paid to take care of him. Disabled by a traumatic brain injury after crashing his motorcycle in 2024, the 44-year-old needed more help than his family could handle. His wife, Julie, moved him to a site run by Fortunate Homes in Brooklyn Center, believing it was the best place for him. (Roth, Lu and Peak, 4/27)
North Carolina Health News: NC Moves To Rein In Soaring Autism Therapy Costs
Meredith McCumbee has seen firsthand the difference applied behavioral analysis therapy, commonly known as ABA, can make in children with autism. Aaron, her 16-year-old son, was diagnosed with autism and apraxia of speech — a disorder that makes it difficult to coordinate the muscle movements needed to form words — in 2014. His inability to communicate growing up often led to aggressive “meltdowns,” his mother said, creating a near-constant state of crisis at home. (Baxley, 4/27)
KFF Health News: Florida Delays Children’s Health Insurance Expansion As Uninsured Rate Rises
Like many parents, Tatiana Lafortune wants her children to get a good education, eat nutritious food, and see a doctor when they’re not feeling well. Public schools and her church’s pantry help Lafortune accomplish the first two goals. But insurance to cover doctor visits has been the most difficult to secure. As nursing assistants at a traumatic brain injury rehab center near Tampa, Florida, Lafortune and her husband cannot afford the health insurance benefits offered by their employer. (Chang, 4/27)
Border Belt Independent: Behavioral Health Urgent Care Set To Open In Robeson County
Dozens of health care workers, law enforcement officers, and representatives of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina celebrated Southeastern Integrated Care’s new behavioral health urgent care in Lumberton on Friday. (Casey, 4/26)
San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Startup Pairs Seniors, Students For Help At Home
When Paige Miller was diagnosed with early stage dementia in 2019, the San Rafael resident knew she’d soon need to hand off some parts of her daily routine. She had to stop driving, for one. Miller, 72, and her husband, Robert, 70, didn’t yet need a caregiver or nurse, or to move to a senior living facility. Paige was still active and independent, and they made a conscious decision to prioritize her dignity and their social and emotional well-being as they navigated the future. (Ho, 4/26)
KFF Health News: The Help That Many Older Americans Need Most
On a recent Monday, Sandy Guzman, a community health worker in rural Oregon, drove to visit a patient in her 60s in a small city called The Dalles. The patient lived alone, and “really struggles with social isolation,” Guzman said. After a serious fall and subsequent surgery, the woman was using a wheelchair. She confided that she would like to attend services at a church down the road but had no way to get there and did not want to seem “a bother.” (Span, 4/27)
