Experts: Pandemic Could Spark Higher Premiums, M&A

April 6

Many of the nation’s largest health insurers have now waived patient cost sharing and prior authorization requirements for treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Experts praise payers for making the change, but say the moves could have negative financial impacts for some firms. The same experts believe consolidation is likely if payers and providers struggle with liquidity.

Payers waiving coinsurance include Anthem, Inc., UnitedHealth Group, Cigna Corp., Centene Corp., Humana Inc. and some Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. Companies that have relaxed prior authorization requirements include Anthem, Centene and Humana. (For a more complete list, see p. 5.)

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Health Plan Weekly

Peter Johnson

Peter has worked as a journalist since 2011 and has covered health care since 2020. At AIS Health, Peter covers trends in finance, business and policy that affect the health insurance and pharma sectors. For Health Plan Weekly, he covers all aspects of the U.S. health insurance sector, including employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces. In Radar on Drug Benefits, Peter covers the operations of (and conflicts between) pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a particular focus on pricing dynamics and market access. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered transportation, public safety and local government for various outlets in Seattle, his hometown and current place of residence. He graduated with a B.A. from Colby College.

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