Centene is restructuring its organization, a change that will eliminate thousands of jobs, CEO Michael Neidorff told investors during a Feb. 9 call.

Centene ended the fourth quarter of 2020 with a $12 million loss, according to recent financial statements.

Oscar Health officially filed for an initial public offering Feb. 5.

David Wichmann, the outgoing CEO of UnitedHealth Group, will receive pay for two years after his departure, according to a Feb. 2 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Oklahoma selected four health insurers to manage its Medicaid program, called SoonerSelect.

Here are seven recent contract agreements or conflicts between payers, providers and employers:

Humana and Roche agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the companies of submitting false claims to Medicare.

The American Hospital Association urged CMS to review new policy changes from UnitedHealthcare for diagnostic and specialty pharmacy services that the insurer says are needed to lower medical costs.

Cigna's revenues and profits grew in the fourth quarter of 2020, but the insurer also saw increased costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Phoenix-based Banner Health and Aetna agreed to a long-term extension of their joint venture partnership, the organizations said Feb. 3. 

Medicare Advantage plans with higher star ratings are associated with improved patient outcomes, according to a study published in Health Affairs. 

Prior authorization for advanced imaging requests was expedited when a health system used a clinical decision support tool in partnership with a commercial payer, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. 

Peter Antall, MD, chief medical officer for Amwell, talks about Virtual Primary Care (VPC) and why health plans and employers should be thinking about it.

Sir Andrew Witty is the new CEO of UnitedHealth Group. He succeeds David Wichmann, who is retiring, the healthcare company said Feb. 4.

Humana recorded a net loss in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to financial documents.

Humana will join a group purchasing organization operated by Cigna, according to Bloomberg.

Humana partnered with DispatchHealth, a provider of in-home medical care, to offer Humana members access to 24/7 medical care outside of the hospital, according to a Feb. 1 news release.

Anthem entered into an agreement with InnovaCare Health to buy its Puerto Rico-based Medicare Advantage and Medicaid subsidiaries, according to a Feb. 2 news release. 

The following payer executive changes were announced in January.

Cigna will no longer require prior authorization for some CT scans of the heart, according to an updated precertification list. The change is effective Feb. 1.