Patients and employers could see their healthcare costs decrease by 62 percent if diagnostic imaging was shifted from hospital outpatient settings to lower-cost imaging centers, according to a report from UnitedHealth Group.

Nearly a quarter of all claims for COVID-19 tests are coming from out-of-network providers, and the share of claims for tests with inflated prices has grown since this summer, according to a survey from the health insurance trade group America's Health Insurance Plans. 

The board of directors of America's Health Insurance Plans named Bruce Broussard, president and CEO of Humana, as its new chair for 2021.

In September, Cigna rebranded its health services division as Evernorth. 

Health insurers can expect several factors, like interest rates, regulation and possible transformation of government healthcare, to negatively affect their credit in the long term, according to a new report from credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Envision Healthcare and Humana signed a new in-network agreement for Humana's commercial and government members in Florida, the organizations said Nov. 12.

The following payer executives changed their positions in November so far.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan struck a partnership with Premise Health, a direct healthcare company based in Brentwood, Tenn., to create employer-sponsored health and wellness centers.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, trends showed increased interest in the use of telehealth services by healthcare professionals and patients.

CVS Health named Daniel Finke as the new president of its Aetna healthcare benefits segment Nov. 11.

Nationwide, health insurers have paid about $2.5 billion in premium rebates to members under the ACA's medical loss ratio requirement, according to data from CMS.

UnitedHealthcare didn't violate federal or state parity laws in denying coverage for out-of-state mental health services sought by one of its members, an appellate court said in a Nov. 9 opinion.

Some hospitals in Georgia will no longer contract with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia's ACA marketplace plans, according to WALB 10 News.

The University of Texas Medical Branch Health is ending its contract with Aetna next spring, according to the Houston Chronicle.

CMS issued its 2020 Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program Managed Care final rule Nov. 9.

President-elect Joe Biden may have trouble implementing a key part of his healthcare plan: a public option.

Renton, Wash.-based Providence agreed to join Anthem Blue Cross' Vivity Health Plan as a joint venture partner, effective Nov. 1. 

Bruce Broussard, the president and CEO of Humana, sold nearly $30 million in shares, according to Analyst Ratings and a Nov. 6 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In the days between when polls for the 2020 election closed and former Vice President Joe Biden was named the president-elect, health insurance stocks were largely unaffected by the uncertainty. In fact, many health insurance stocks saw big gains.

On Feb. 1, Karen Lynch, executive vice president of CVS Health's Aetna insurance unit, will succeed Larry Merlo as CVS' president and CEO.