Humana CEO sticks with Medicare focus amid funding pressure

As the federal government squeezes payments for private Medicare plans, Humana Inc. (HUM), the big health insurer most tethered to the government health program, has no plans to shift gears. Instead, the Louisville, Ky., company is pressing ahead with efforts to grow Medicare membership, while making its plans work more efficiently through methods such as providing more intense care upfront for sicker patients. Like other companies running Medicare Advantage plans, which cover more than 14 million Americans, Humana has to find ways to make a good business by doing more with less.