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Humana

Medicare marketing, claims handling problems abound

Misbehavior and administrative problems are surprisingly common within Medicare contractors, according to a new review of federal audits by The New York Times. In particular, plans are having... Read more...

VA understates care wait times

Despite claims to the contrary, veterans have often been forced to wait 30 days or more for care at VA hospitals, and many more may not be on its electronic waiting lists, according to a recently... Read more...

ALSO NOTED: Humana buys insurer for $188M; Pennsylvania pays for remote monitoring; and much more...

> Humana has set plans to buy life and health insurer KMG America Corp for about $188 million. Read more...

Texas doctors fight back in MD ratings dispute

Concerned about several health insurers' decision to rate and rank physicians, a Texas medical group has decided to fire back with ratings on insurers. The Harris County Medical Society, working with... Read more...

ALSO NOTED: Humana spends $360M for benefits provider; WellSpot plans 100 retail clinics; and much more...

> Humana acquired an Atlanta-based dental and vision benefits company for $360 million. The company, CompBenefits Corp., serves about 14,000 employer groups in 22 states. Read more...

RediClinic gets Medicare contract

When talk of retail clinics first emerged, most assumed that their primary business would be cash-based. After all, if you're going to charge low prices, you might not want to take on the expense of collecting insurance reimbursement. But for many retail clinic operators, that's not how its shaping up. The most recent example comes from RediClinic, which has just announced that it will accept traditional Medicare coverage at its 46 U.S. locations. The company already has contracts in …

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Humana fights for VA medical dollars

It may be starting as a small division, but it could become something big quickly. Hoping to get its piece of the agency's massive budget, Humana has created a unit which will help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs care for veterans who are eligible for its benefits. Humana already gets roughly three quarters of its premium revenue from government sources, largely from CMS. Now it wants more government income. To jump start the new division, Humana Veterans Healthcare Services, it …

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Aetna expands P4P program

Apparently happy with its existing results, Aetna has set plans to include more providers in its pay-for-performance program, expanding it out to family practice and internal medicine physicians based in Washington state. It already offers the program in Cincinnati, Atlanta, Louisville, Ky., Maryland, Washington, DC and northern Virginia. Aetna's P4P program bases its standards on guidelines from the NCQA, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association and American Stroke …

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Tenn. Blue plan offers real-time claims adjustment

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has become the latest health plan to address a key issue with high-deductible plans. Following in the steps of peers like UnitedHealth, the Blue plan has created a pilot program under which providers can find out, in real time, how much a patient owes, and collect on the spot. The pilot, which is already live in …

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SPOTLIGHT: Humana head pitches health reform


Humana CEO Michael B. McCallister is on a whistle-stop tour of the U.S., preaching a not-too-surprising gospel of health reform. The key to his pitch? That everyone involved in the health system, including employers, doctors, hospitals, consumers, and yes, insurers, needs to act smarter. Article