Health Plan Weekly

✦ Cigna Corp.’s Evernorth division has reached a deal to acquire the telehealth platform MDLIVE, the companies said on Feb. 26. Cigna is already an MDLIVE customer and investor, and noted in a press release that the telehealth firm “has a sizable and forward-thinking client base, a class-leading provider network, brand recognition among customers and consumers, and experience in medical and behavioral health.” In a note to investors about the deal, Evercore ISI analysts wrote that “although we don’t view MDLIVE as particularly differentiated vs. other telehealth providers, it gives [Cigna] a platform to better integrate telehealth medical and behavioral visits into its healthcare offering to help control costs and improve patient experience, and expands the service offerings Evernorth can cross-sell into other health plans.” The analysts also noted that previously MDLIVE was considering going public, and its latest funding round valued it above $1 billion. No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2021. Read more at https://prn.to/3qZ9eOr.

✦ Hawaii elected to renew its contract with Centene Corp.’s ‘Ohana Health Plan to provide behavioral health care services to Medicaid-eligible adults with severe and persistent mental illness under the state’s Community Care Services (CCS) program. The plan, which serves about 5,000 members ages 21 and older who have severe and/or persistent mental illness, has been the sole contractor for CCS since 2013. The contract extension will begin July 1 and continue for three years, and the state holds two one-year options to extend it. Read more at http://prn.to/3sxWpuR.

Last year, Medicare Advantage plans for the first time were able to extend a variety of non-primarily health-related items and services to their chronically ill beneficiaries, but insurer adoption of these benefits was relatively small. In 2021, the availability of such benefits has more than tripled, suggesting carriers are becoming more comfortable with a variety of new supplemental benefits and the idea of incorporating cost offsets into their bids.

At the same time, an examination of 2021 Plan Benefit Package (PBP) data illustrates the heavy influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on benefit design, as more insurers are offering grocery delivery, virtual companionship and other services aimed at supporting isolated seniors.

Health care organizations, eager for innovative ways to engage members in the midst of the pandemic, ramped up their use of email and texts in 2020, and found they were highly effective in prompting consumer action, a recent survey on health care consumer engagement found.

The survey, conducted annually for the past five years by consulting and research firm Engagys, found when it polled around 100 health care entities in November that 2020 had been a “breakout year” for use of more efficient digital channels and personalized messages, says Kathleen Ellmore, the firm’s co-founder and managing director.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Psych Hub is creating “provider ratings.” A Psych Hub representative tells AIS Health that the company is instead “working to identify universal quality outcome measures.” This version has been corrected to clarify that distinction.

With unmeasurable stress and trauma caused by the pandemic, the U.S.’s longstanding shortage of behavioral health care has become an acute crisis — making improvements to the way treatment is paid for a more urgent issue than ever. Fortunately, new trends in quality measures, network design and reimbursement could help the health insurance industry improve access and affordability for behavioral health care to members.