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Managed Care Companies
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HRA, HSA CONSOLIDATION TO CONTINUE, MERCURIO SAID
The advent of consumer-directed healthcare and the ensuing wild-west shootout has already led to industry consolidation, with more shakeout to come, said Carl Mercurio, president of Corporate Research Group Inc. (New Rochelle, NY) at the Managed Healthcare Industry Forum in New York.
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KAISER TO ROLL OUT HSA PLANS IN CA IN 2006
Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, CA) confirmed that it will roll out HSA-compatible high-deductible health plans in California in 2006. Kaiser, which uses Wells Fargo Bank as its HSA trustee, is already offering the product in Colorado and Georgia and will add the northwest and other markets this year. Wells Fargo will provide Kaiser’s members with a debit card, customer service, and a variety of money market and mutual fund options.
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HEALTHCARE RIPE FOR DISINTERMEDIATION, NAIR SAID
The healthcare industry is ripe for disintermediation, in part because of the disjointed nature of the industry, said Mohan Nair, chief marketing officer, The Regence Group (Portland, OR), in his keynote presentation to the Managed Healthcare Industry Forum on Emerging Technology in New York, April 22.
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PREMERA ATTRACTS UNINSURED WITH HSAs
Premera (Mountlake Terrace, WA) said that 58% of new individual members at its LifeWise Health Plan of Washington affiliate in the first quarter of 2005 were uninsured for at least two months when they signed up for one of the company’s HSA-compatible or non-compatible high-deductible health plans.
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AETNA HEALTHFUND HAS 361,000 LIVES
Aetna Inc. (Hartford, CT) had 361,000 members in its HSA and HRA-compatible HealthFund consumer-directed health plan as of March 31, the company said. As of year-end 2004, Aetna had 222,000 HealthFund lives. The company expects to have more than 800,000 consumer-directed lives by the end of the year (MHMR, February 2005).
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UNITEDHEALTH ENJOYS ROBUST CDHP GAINS
UnitedHealth Group (Minnetonka, MN) continued to enjoy robust gains in its various consumer-driven health plan offerings, according to William McGuire, M.D., chairman.
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