Health insurer Humana was sued in a class action challenging the process by which it made claim determinations and alleging that it knowingly used a “highly inaccurate” artificial intelligence model, nH Predict, to improperly...more
For those of you who know me, I like to have fun with my Zoom backgrounds – choosing photos of interesting scenery or changing them mid-call to reflect my mood or negotiating strategy. Sitting in front of my computer this...more
Sitting in the dark before 6 am in my Los Angeles house with my face lit up by yet another Zoom screen, wearing a stylish combination of sweatpants, dress shirt and last year’s JPM conference badge dangling around my neck for...more
As reported in earlier blogs, the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) has been actively looking into potential abuses by Medicare Advantage (MA) Organizations as to allegedly improper risk adjustment claims submissions and...more
WHO IS AT RISK - The federal government has indicated that it is still investigating, and could ultimately join a false claims whistleblower qui tam action against Aetna, Inc., Humana, Inc., Cigna, Inc. (through its Bravo...more
In July 2016, following a lengthy review, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), together with several states, sued to block two proposed health insurer mergers: Aetna/Humana and Anthem/Cigna. On January...more
Securing the Safety Net for America's Vulnerable Populations - Editor's Note: America's population is aging rapidly. By 2029, 75 million baby boomers will have reached age 65 and older, and older adults will represent...more
In the past month, the DOJ and several state governments scored two trial wins in their challenges to mergers among some of the country’s largest health insurers. First, Judge Bates of the District of Columbia blocked the...more
In a continuation of recent Department of Justice (DOJ) successes challenging mergers, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently enjoined two more proposed mergers brought and litigated under the Obama...more
The District of Columbia federal court recently ruled that a proposed $37 billion merger between health insurance giants Aetna and Humana cannot proceed, granting the US Department of Justice’s bid to block the combination on...more
The trial over Aetna and Humana's $37 billion proposed merger kicked off today in a Washington, D.C. federal court. At issue is whether the companies' merger would substantially lessen competition in the market for...more
In a case with far-reaching implications, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion concluding that the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSP) permits a private insurance company/PART C Medicare Advantage...more
Consolidation in health insurance markets can injure hospitals and doctors by creating buyer-side market power that can force providers to accept below-market prices, limit patients’ access to care, and reduce innovation in...more
On June 23, 2016, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones submitted a letter urging the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division (DOJ) to block the proposed merger between Aetna, Inc. (Aetna) and Humana, Inc. (Humana). ...more
In the last few months, several of the largest commercial health insurers in the nation have announced their intentions to merge. First, Aetna (currently the nation’s third largest health insurer by revenue) announced its...more