Health News
- Politicians, Economists And Journalists Debate The Reasons For, And The Impact Of, Proposed Sale Of Humana To Aetna
By Al Cross Kentucky Health News The purchase of Louisville-based Humana Inc. by fellow health-insurance giant Aetna Inc. for $37 billion still needs approval from federal anti-trust officials, partly because of the possibility that the merger will reduce...
- Aetna Is Close To A Deal To Buy Humana, Bloomberg Reports
Getty Images, via CNBCHealth insurer Aetna "is said to be closing in on a deal to buy" Louisville-based Humana Inc., Julie Hyman reports for Bloomberg News, "and a deal could come "as soon as this weekend." Humana is also expecting an offer from Cigna...
- Feds Investigating Possibility That Humana Overbilled Taxpayers For Medicare Advantage; Firm Says It Reported Information
Louisville-based "Humana Inc. faces multiple federal investigations into allegations that it overbilled the government for treating elderly patients enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans, court records reveal." So reports Fred Schulte of the Washington-based Center...
- Humana Inc. Bus Travels The Rural Roads Of Mississippi, Looking To Enroll People In Obamacare By March 31 Deadline
Insurance providers have been scared off by Mississippi, one of the poorest and unhealthiest states in the country. Only nine percent of eligible residents have signed up for insurance under federal health reform, ranking Mississippi near the bottom of...
- Walmart, Humana To Give Discount On Healthier Grocery Choices Like Veggies, Fruit, Lean Meat, Skim Milk, Certain Packaged Goods
Starting Oct. 15, more than 1 million members of Humana Inc.'s Healthy Rewards program will start getting a 5 percent credit on about 1,300 healthy food items at all U.S. Walmart stores. The credit can be used against future purchases at Walmart,...
Health News
Humana reinvents itself again, to adapt to U.S. health-care reform
Humana, Kentucky's largest corporation, says it is reinventing itself in the wake of the federal health reform law, focusing on becoming a "well-being" company rather than just a provider of health insurance.
Of the notable changes, the Louisville-based corporation that started life almost 50 years ago as a nursing-home company, then ran hospitals, is now back in the business of providing medical care directly, The Courier-Journal's Patrick Howington reports. That change is due to the $790 million purchase of Concentra, which operates occupational and urgent-care clinics (photo of Dr. J. Shawn Standridge and Danny Murphy by C-J's Michael Hayman). Humana Chairman and CEO Michael McCallister said similar purchases in fields like home health and information technology are expected.
Humana is also involved with development of products such as fitness games that can be played online and a water bottle that tells its owner when it's time to rehydrate. The company is also planning to market diabetic supplies to consumers, and is selling research to health-care companies about the effectiveness of certain drugs. "It's a significant change in our strategy," McCallister said.
Part of the change is due to the new health law, which will mean a $136 billion federal cutback in Medicare Advantage, a supplemental coverage program. Humana is the program's second-largest provider with 1.9 million members, and half its revenue comes from the program.
Though Humana laid off 750 Louisville workers early last year, analysts predict the company will weather the changes. Though Medicare Advantage cuts will likely mean there will be a predicted 5 million fewer seniors enrolled in the plan by 2019, other, smaller providers will likely stop offering it. Humana will be there to pick up those lost customers, analysts contend. (Read more)
- Politicians, Economists And Journalists Debate The Reasons For, And The Impact Of, Proposed Sale Of Humana To Aetna
By Al Cross Kentucky Health News The purchase of Louisville-based Humana Inc. by fellow health-insurance giant Aetna Inc. for $37 billion still needs approval from federal anti-trust officials, partly because of the possibility that the merger will reduce...
- Aetna Is Close To A Deal To Buy Humana, Bloomberg Reports
Getty Images, via CNBCHealth insurer Aetna "is said to be closing in on a deal to buy" Louisville-based Humana Inc., Julie Hyman reports for Bloomberg News, "and a deal could come "as soon as this weekend." Humana is also expecting an offer from Cigna...
- Feds Investigating Possibility That Humana Overbilled Taxpayers For Medicare Advantage; Firm Says It Reported Information
Louisville-based "Humana Inc. faces multiple federal investigations into allegations that it overbilled the government for treating elderly patients enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans, court records reveal." So reports Fred Schulte of the Washington-based Center...
- Humana Inc. Bus Travels The Rural Roads Of Mississippi, Looking To Enroll People In Obamacare By March 31 Deadline
Insurance providers have been scared off by Mississippi, one of the poorest and unhealthiest states in the country. Only nine percent of eligible residents have signed up for insurance under federal health reform, ranking Mississippi near the bottom of...
- Walmart, Humana To Give Discount On Healthier Grocery Choices Like Veggies, Fruit, Lean Meat, Skim Milk, Certain Packaged Goods
Starting Oct. 15, more than 1 million members of Humana Inc.'s Healthy Rewards program will start getting a 5 percent credit on about 1,300 healthy food items at all U.S. Walmart stores. The credit can be used against future purchases at Walmart,...