Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Humana Prefers You Don’t Know the Details of Its $45 Billion Tricare Contract

Humana’s military unit has filed suit against the federal Defense Health Agency in an effort to block the details of its $45 billion Tricare managed care contract from becoming public, as reported late yesterday by Law360. Humana Military is seeking a permanent injunction blocking the agency’s decision to disclose certain proprietary information provided by Humana as part of its bid for the Tricare contract, according to the complaint filed in Washington, DC federal court. Though …

Report: Walmart and Humana May Be Deepening Their Partnership

Walmart may be looking to wade deeper into the healthcare pool—including, potentially, offering urgent care services—by working more closely with Humana, according to an article published in The New York Times. The report says unnamed sources don’t expect Walmart to take over Humana outright. More likely, the deal will manifest in a financial and operating partnership focused on prescription drug sales and/or insurance coverage. It could also be the basis for opening urgent care centers …

Humana Says It’s Out of Individual Markets, Regardless of Any New Legislation

The Affordable Care Act—also known as the ACA, or “Obamacare”—famously drove many insurers out of state exchanges due to the difficulty they had in turning a profit through their participation. President Trump says the plan he’d like to see in place would be both superior and less expensive than his predecessor’s. Humana isn’t planning on sticking around to find out, however, and has announced it will not be participating in any individual insurance market after …

Aetna–Humana Merger is Dead in the Water

Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc. have opted not to fight the decision a judge laid down to block their proposed merger based on the presumption that the $34 billion deal would violate antitrust laws. The two companies will continue to operate as separate entities, though the door is still open for either or both to seek other partners. Had the deal gone through, Aetna would have become a kingpin in Medicare Advantage. The implications for …

Update: Humana’s Four-State Exodus Leaves Alabama in a Tough Spot

Last week we told you about Humana’s plans to drop out of Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”) insurance exchanges in certain states. Now the company has revealed that one of those states is Alabama—leaving just one ACA exchange in the entire state, effective Dec. 31, 2016. The other states (so far) are Kansas, Wisconsin, and Virginia, though news regarding more states may still be ahead. The company first said it would consider exiting certain …

Humana Follows United Out the ACA Exit Door

In advance of formal approval of its merger with Aetna, Humana plans to stop participating in some state insurance exchanges constructed under the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”). The company says its member base dropped 21% compared with the first quarter of 2015. That includes those who bought policies under the ACA exchanges, which many insurers say are hard on their bottom lines to begin with. UnitedHealth Group was the first major insurer to …

Think Tank Says Aetna–Humana Deal Would Make Seniors Pay More

The Center for American Progress (CAP), a Washington, DC-based think tank, says senior citizens will be forced to pay higher Medicare Advantage premiums if Aetna’s proposed acquisition of Humana goes through. Aetna currently holds 7% of that market and Humana 19%. While their combined share of the entire current Medicare market would still be just 8%, Anthem has also moved to buy Cigna Corp. The combined effect of such deals could cut competition and result …

Humana Moves Could Impact Older Patients and Urgent Care

Humana’s plan to lower the number of elderly patients who seek care in the emergency room could end up costing urgent care centers. The company is testing a telehealth program that encourages Medicare Advantage enrollees to try “virtual” visits for relatively minor complaints before they head to the hospital. On-call clinicians would have access to the patient’s medical history and the authority to direct the patient’s care (which could still entail a trip to the …