Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Verma: Danger Is Afoot For The Health Insurance Industry
Modern Healthcare: Doctors And Patients Tired Of Insurance Hassles, Verma Says
CMS Administrator Seema Verma on Tuesday told insurers that they need to support the Trump administration's policies on transparency, value-based payments, interoperability and data access, cautioning them that the health insurance industry is under threat from disgruntled patients, doctors and politicians. Speaking at the America's Health Insurance Plans' 2019 National Conference on Medicare, Verma said that patients are tired of high costs, surprise bills and a system that's too complex and difficult to navigate. (Brady, 9/24)
Outlets also report the latest on Medicare Advantage premium rates, the status of the merger between Cambria and Blue Cross of North Carolina and other news -
Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Premiums To Hit Lowest Point In Over A Decade
The CMS on Tuesday said Medicare Advantage average monthly premiums are projected to hit their lowest point in 13 years in 2020. The agency also predicted that enrollment in the plans would continue its upward march as more seniors opt for Advantage over the traditional Medicare program. Average monthly premiums are expected to decrease 14.4% from $26.87 in 2019 to $23 next year—the lowest premium since 2007, according to the CMS. (Livingston, 9/24)
The Wall Street Journal: Cambia, Blue Cross Of North Carolina Put Proposed Merger On Hold
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Cambia Health Solutions said their deal to combine is on hold following recent revelations about the arrest of the North Carolina insurer’s chief executive for an allegedly alcohol-related traffic accident. The two large insurers had planned to come together in a tie-up that would generate around $16 billion in annual revenue and cover more than six million people through Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. Patrick Conway, chief executive of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, had been slated to lead the combined entity. (Wilde Mathews, Scism and Bauerlein, 9/24)
Pioneer Press: About 25,000 Minnesotans Once Enrolled In MinnesotaCare Were Overcharged. Rebates Are Coming
About 25,000 Minnesotans who used to be enrolled in MinnesotaCare will receive refunds in the coming weeks, because the automatic payments they set as members were not turned off after their accounts closed. The state Department of Human Services (DHS) discovered that some former MinnesotaCare members were still paying their premiums online even though they were no longer enrolled in the health care program. DHS will issue about $1.8 million in refunds to approximately 24,800 people, officials said Tuesday, with most refunds totaling $250 or less. (Faircloth, 9/24)
