Datapoint: Elevance Under Fire for Louisiana Blues Deal
Lawmakers in Louisiana held a nearly eight-hour hearing on Feb. 5 with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana officials over the insurer’s proposed sale to Elevance Health, Inc., Nola.com reported. Legislators noted that Elevance has had more than $26 million in regulatory fines in seven states, including Louisiana, for allegations such as failing to cover preventive services and failing to pay claims in a timely manner. The Louisiana Dept. of Insurance will hold a two-day hearing starting on Feb. 14 to determine whether the sale is in the best interests of the state and BCBS of Louisiana’s policyholders. The two Blues affiliates struck a deal last that would make Elevance the largest insurer in the state, with nearly 1.4 million members. As it stands, BCBS Louisiana currently ranks No. 2 behind UnitedHealthcare, with 1,057,776 lives.
Source: AIS’s Directory of Health Plans
