In 2023, the United States marked a major milestone in the battle against a longstanding public health crisis: adult obesity rates dropped for the first time in a decade. Researchers pointed to GLP-1s ...

UnitedHealth Group has more than 2.8 million enrollees in special needs Medicare Advantage plans in 2025, according to CMS data published Feb. 25. Medicare Advantage special needs plans cover ...

Optum Rx, the pharmacy benefit manager under UnitedHealth Group, will remove prior authorization requirements for approximately 80 prescription drugs, aiming to streamline access for patients with ...

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has restructured to become a subsidiary of a new parent holding company, CuraCor Solutions. CuraCor will include Blue Cross NC and other fully owned ...

North Carolina lawmakers introduced legislation March 18 aimed at reforming the approval process for prior authorizations. The bill would require payers to notify physicians within a specific ...

UnitedHealthcare added more than 400,000 Medicare Advantage members during the annual open enrollment period, according to data CMS published Feb. 25. Elevance Health and UnitedHealthcare added to ...

Most Medicare Advantage enrollees rate supplemental benefits as important, but less than half report using dental or vision benefits each year, according to a report from the Commonwealth Fund. The ...

California has reached a $1.3 million settlement with Sedera and Sedera Medical Cost Sharing Community to resolve allegations that they advertised and sold “sham” health insurance plans to more than 2 ...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking lawmakers for an additional $2.8 billion to fund the state’s Medicaid program through the end of the year, Politico reported March 17. The request comes after Mr ...

The federal government is expected to spend $80 billion more on Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in 2025 than if these beneficiaries were enrolled in fee-for-service plans, and UnitedHealth Group ...

UnitedHealthcare plans to cut prior authorization requirements by around 10% in 2025. In a March 1 notice to providers, the health insurer said it will eliminate prior authorizations for home health ...

March 17, 2025 BHR Newsletter 1. Cigna's 5 highest-paid executives Full story 2. Nevada to award Medicaid contracts Full story 3. CMS doubles down on Medicare drug price negotiations Full story 4.