Insurers Try to Flip Script on Healthcare Affordability

Health insurers are making their case at a 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) summit, trying to shift their image from being the enemy of healthcare affordability to partners in reducing costs.

Elevance Health and UnitedHealth executives will participate in a panel discussion with a top Medicare official, highlighting how health plans can focus on preventive care and long-term health instead of treating patients when they're already sick.

Elevance has announced new billing policies that will clarify where patients receive care to ensure services are paid at the correct rate. This move aligns with growing bipartisan interest in paying the same rates for the same services, regardless of location.

Despite some dissent from within the MAHA movement, health insurers see an opportunity to work together on addressing waste, fraud, and abuse, as well as promoting whole health and moving beyond a 'sick care' system.