Health Plan Weekly

The national uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 8% in the first quarter of 2022, according to new data from the HHS’s National Health Interview Survey. Since 2020, about 5.2 million people have gained coverage, which the report attributed to enhanced marketplace subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act, the suspension of Medicaid redeterminations during the COVID-19 public health emergency, several recent state Medicaid expansions and “substantial enrollment outreach” by the Biden administration in 2021 and 2022.

If the 12 holdout states expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, 3.7 million fewer people would be uninsured next year. That’s according to a new analysis from the Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which noted that “Black individuals, young adults, and women —particularly women of reproductive age — would realize the largest coverage gains if the 12 states expanded eligibility.” Fiscally speaking, extending Medicaid expansion nationwide would increase federal spending by $34.5 billion in 2023, but that would be partially offset by $2.6 billion less government spending on uncompensated care.

During the past two years, the number of people enrolled in Medicaid and marketplace plans has significantly increased thanks to legislation meant to help people as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. But millions of those people may lose their health insurance coverage in the coming months if those policies end, which could lead to difficult circumstances for them and the health care industry as a whole, according to health policy experts who spoke during a July 15 webinar sponsored by Alliance for Health Policy, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit.  

As of March 2022, nearly 87.9 million people were enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, up from just over 71.2 million in February 2020, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Sara Collins, Ph.D., vice president for health care coverage and access at the Commonwealth Fund, noted that much of the increase could be attributed to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  

Despite facing several headwinds over the next year, including anticipated deterioration in Medicare Advantage star ratings and falling Medicaid enrollment, Centene Corp. increased its full-year 2022 earnings projections and unveiled the latest steps in its ongoing value creation plan.  

The moves pleased investors, who drove Centene shares to a 52-week high, closing at $93.15 on July 26, the day financial results were posted.   

Centene posted second-quarter 2022 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.77 on revenues of $35.9 billion, besting analysts’ estimate of $1.69. Adjustments included a charge of $1.45 billion related to real-estate divestitures, with $744 million for leased space and $706 million for owned real estate assets. Including the charge and other adjustments, Centene reported a second-quarter 2022 loss of $129 million, or 29 cents per share.