Medicare Advantage Plans Pulling Back On In-Home Care Supplemental Benefits

Insurance companies selling Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have been facing increased scrutiny from members of Congress and regulators, with critics of the private version of Medicare claiming carriers are profiting far too much. In light of those sentiments and expected constraints, some believed MA plans could begin trimming their supplemental-benefits packages, which could lead to […]

Cigna To Shed Certain Prior Authorization Requirements, May Benefit Home-Based Care Providers

In an attempt to lower administrative burden, Cigna Healthcare — the health insurance arm of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI) — announced that it is removing nearly 25% of medical services from its prior authorization requirements. Broadly, prior authorization is the process that occurs when a health care provider requests a patient to receive a […]

UnitedHealth Group ‘Moving at Speed’ in Bringing Together Home-Based Care Capabilities

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is moving toward value-based care at a faster pace than even it originally imagined. And that’s partly because of the success of its home- and community-based care capabilities, according to CEO Andrew Witty. Already, that home- and community-based care ecosystem includes capabilities such as Optum’s HouseCalls program and in-home assessments, plus […]

UnitedHealth Group Hints at Big Home-Based Care Plans

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) was the first health care titan to report its 2021 year-end results, doing so Wednesday morning. The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company showed few signs of a pandemic-driven slowdown and hinted at big home-based care moves on the horizon. “Our broad home-based clinical care initiatives at Optum and UnitedHealthcare are central to improving […]

‘We Bring Unique Capabilities to the Space’: What UnitedHealth Group Is Doing in the Home

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is one of the largest and most pioneering health care organizations in the country. As such, one of its main strategic priorities is bringing more care into the home. Internally, it’s clear that UnitedHealth Group and its different departments view investments around home-based care as a way to deliver cost-effective, highly […]

UnitedHealthcare Advances Home Strategy, Expects to Make 1.7M House Calls in 2020

A number of major Medicare Advantage (MA) carriers are expanding their supplemental benefit offerings shaped around in-home care next year. UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), is among them. Overall, UnitedHealthcare partners with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals across the U.S., plus another 6,500 or so hospitals and other […]

Lyft, UnitedHealthcare See Transportation as a Game Changer for Seniors’ Health

Access to transportation remains a challenge for many older Americans, whether that means getting to an important medical appointment, going grocery shopping or meeting a few friends for coffee. It’s a point several home care providers are actively tackling through ride-hailing partnerships, especially as potential hospital and health system referral sources prioritize social determinants of […]

Home Health Care ‘Squarely in the Scope’ of UnitedHealthcare’s Bundled Payments Expansion

Earlier this month, Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare announced it was expanding the company’s bundled payment offerings to providers participating in its Medicare Advantage (MA) plan networks. Home health care is primed to play a major role in that expansion, Jeff Meyerhofer, president of bundled payment solutions for UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare & Retirement division, told Home Health Care News […]

Apple Reportedly Talking Smart Watch, Senior Care with MA Plans

Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) is reportedly in talks with multiple private Medicare plans about its smart watch product and the role it can play in preventing negative health outcomes for older adults. Cupertino, California-based Apple released its redesigned and re-engineered Apple Watch toward the end of 2018. Among its features, the smart device boasts a […]