The impact of tax reform and an overall improvement in earnings resulted in a favorable change to capital and surplus in 2017 of almost $8.8 billion for the aggregated Blues.
The employer medical cost trend has stabilized at about 6% annually through 2019, but that's still unsustainable and well out of line with the Consumer Price Index and wage increases, PwC says.
In a 2-to-1 ruling, a federal appeals court said Congress 'through clear intent' suspended the government's obligation to pay health insurers for losses accrued during the ACA rollout.
The integrated care network will use two Emory Hospitals in Atlanta for Kaiser Permanente members, with an emphasis on population health management, ambulatory and hospital care.
Policymakers say they need more time to analyze the impact of the changes on hospitals. However, some related metrics will be updated by the end of July.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Shared Savings Program sent more than $148,000 to 148 physicians in the fourth quarter of 2016, in payments ranging from under $1,000 to over $5,000. Stakeholders want to expand on their success.
Hospitals that get bundled payments for joint replacements either voluntarily or through Medicare's mandatory programs, vary by size and volume, but not in spending or quality.
NPs account for 1 in 4 medical healthcare providers in rural areas, but their potential to provide a full spectrum of primary care services can't be realized if states maintain practice restrictions.
