Health News
- 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...
- Merger Mania: Aetna Bids For Humana; Cigna May Want It Too; Anthem Has Bid For Cigna; Unitedhealth Makes A Play For Aetna
Aetna Inc. has made a bid to buy Louisville-based Humana Inc.,"one of a number of recent moves by big health insurers to find merger partners," Dana Mattioli and Liz Hoffman report for The Wall Street Journal. The proposal was made in "the last few days,"...
- 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...
- Big Majority Of Employees In State Health Plan Take Deal: Their Current Information In Return For Breaks On Out-of-pocket Costs
A program that promotes preventive health care and wellness initiatives has been embraced by Kentucky state employees who chose the Living Well health insurance plan. The plan is called the Living Well Promise and was created in a partnership between...
Health News
State and school employees and retirees hit obstacles when seeking mental health treatment; doctor blames Humana
State government and school employees in Kentucky have trouble seeing a psychiatrist because of Humana Inc.'s low reimbursement rates and unrealistic requests for paperwork, an op-ed piece in the Lexington Herald-Leader contends.
Humana manages the Kentucky Employee Health Plan, which has 285,000 current and retired Kentucky workers as members. But those needing mental health services are apparently running into roadblocks, Dr. Jeffrey Tuttle writes:
"Humana dictates the fee, which is often significantly lower than the regional market rate. Humana also requires in-network psychiatrists to submit medical records and documentation so they can determine if an appointment is medically necessary." But many doctors are uneasy doing so "because it jeopardizes confidentiality and leaves major treatment decisions in the hands of any anonymous Humana employee."
Visits to out-of-network providers arte likewise complicated, Tuttle alleges, in large part because Humana only reimburses $69 per visit, though the going rate, according to the Healthcare Bluebook, is $160. That low reimbursement means many more visits to meet the health plan's $800 deductible.
However, visiting in-network providers can be difficult. "Of the 83 active psychiatrists with a primary office in Fayette County (excluding psychiatric residents in training), only 12 work in clinics accepting Humana plans," Tuttle writes. "To make the situation worse, several of these psychiatrists are not accepting new Humana patients." (Read more)
Humana did not respond to a request from Kentucky Health News for comment.
- 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...
- Merger Mania: Aetna Bids For Humana; Cigna May Want It Too; Anthem Has Bid For Cigna; Unitedhealth Makes A Play For Aetna
Aetna Inc. has made a bid to buy Louisville-based Humana Inc.,"one of a number of recent moves by big health insurers to find merger partners," Dana Mattioli and Liz Hoffman report for The Wall Street Journal. The proposal was made in "the last few days,"...
- 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...
- Big Majority Of Employees In State Health Plan Take Deal: Their Current Information In Return For Breaks On Out-of-pocket Costs
A program that promotes preventive health care and wellness initiatives has been embraced by Kentucky state employees who chose the Living Well health insurance plan. The plan is called the Living Well Promise and was created in a partnership between...