Policy upheaval, tech giant disruption and megamergers: Healthcare Dive’s 10 best stories of 2018

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/policy-upheaval-tech-giant-disruption-and-megamergers-healthcare-dives-1/543390/

Mobile health records and nurse protests also grabbed readers this year.

This year in healthcare was marked by sweeping changes, including seemingly constant vertical and horizontal consolidation, led by the $69 billion CVS grab of Aetna and Cigna’s $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts.

As 2018 wound down, a federal judge took an ax to the Affordable Care Act as the Trump administration kept up its efforts to undermine the law, with CMS expanding short-term health plans many say are built to subvert the ACA. Elimination of the individual mandate penalty, Medicaid expansion and rising premiums all likely contributed to declined enrollment on ACA exchanges as well.

The administration encouraged states to use waivers to expand controversial Medicaid work requirements and proposed site-neutral payments, rattling health systems of all sizes that were already struggling under ferocious operating headwinds. Hospitals cut back on services and invested heavily in lucrative outpatient facilities in an attempt to reclaim volume.

Tech companies Apple and Amazon pushed further into the space, with the former focusing on mobile health apps and the latter focusing on, well, almost everything.

But that’s just scratching the surface. Here is a curated list of Healthcare Dive’s top stories from the last year.

    1. Optum a step ahead in vertical integration frenzy

      After a 2017 marked by failed horizontal mergers, vertical consolidation came into vogue during the year, led by CVS-Aetna, Cigna-Express Scripts and Humana-Kindred.

      Some smart observers saw a predecessor to these unions in UnitedHealth Group’s Optum: a pharmacy benefit manager plus a care services unit that employs over 30,000 physicians, using data analytics to capitalize on consumerism and value-based care.

      Our piece on Optum’s solid foothold in the space, and its likelihood of staying ahead of the nascent competition, was Healthcare Dive’s most-read article in 2018. Read More »

    2. New Medicare Advantage rules hold big potential for pop health

      A novel Medicare Advantage rule giving payers more flexibility to sell supplemental benefits to chronically ill enrollees sparked a fair amount of interest in our readers.

      The rule offered up a slate of new opportunities for insurers such as UnitedHealthcare and Humana that can now work with rideshare companies to provide transportation to medical appointments, air conditioners for beneficiaries with asthma and other measures around issues like food insecurity in a broad shift to recognizing social determinants of health. Read More »

    3. Apple debuts medical records on iPhone

      Outside players such as Apple, Amazon and Google moved forward in their bids to disrupt healthcare in 2018. Apple rang in the New Year with its announcement that customers would now be able to access their medical records on the Health app following months of speculation and buzz.

      The move looks to put access to personal, sensitive data back in the patients’ hands, an objective a lot of the entrenched healthcare ecosystem can get behind as well. Heavy hitters on the EHR side (Epic, Cerner, athenahealth) and the provider side (Johns Hopkins, Cedars-Sinai, Geisinger) are taking place in the initiative. Read More »

    4. At least 14 states have legislation addressing safe staffing currently, but California is the only one to implement a strict ratio at one nurse per every five patients. Looking to 2019, in Pennsylvania voters elected a governor who has voiced support for state legislation. Read More »
    5. More employers go direct to providers, sidestepping payers

      Employers ramped up their cost-containment creativity in 2018. One method? Cutting out the middleman and forging direct relationships with providers themselves, whether it’s contracting with an accountable care organization to manage an entire employee population or a simple advocacy role to fight for payment reform.

      Aside from some correlated CMS interest, big names forging inroads in the arena include General Motors, Walmart, Whole Foods, Boeing, Walt Disney and Intel, all with various levels of investment.

      Although only 6% of employers are doing so currently, 22% are considering solidifying some sort of provider relationship for next year according to a Willis Towers Watson survey. It’s also likely the Amazon-J.P. Morgan-Berkshire Hathaway venture will look at direct contracting in its (still vague) mission to lower employer costs. Read More »

    6. Amazon Business’ medical supply chain ambitions: 4 things to know

      Amazon’s B2B purchasing arm reached out and grabbed the healthcare supply chain this year, shaking a once-predictable business model.

      Under intense operating headwinds, supply chain professionals looked to trim the fat from traditional distribution and supplier models in 2018. Some looked to Amazon Business, which generated more than a billion dollars in sales its first year alone by relying on its marketplace model, streamlined ordering and a “tail spend” strategy.

      1. Healthcare Dive discussed this and more with global healthcare leader at Amazon Chris Holt in an exclusive interview that drove a lot of interest. Read More »

GE, Medtronic among those linking with hospitals for value-based care

Value-based care was a buzzword over the past year, with providers, payers and healthcare execs across the board looking (or saying they’re looking) for ways to cut costs and improve quality.

Although legal barriers stemming from the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law persist, medical technology companies jumped on the bandwagon, with big names like GE, Philips and Medtronic coupling with hospitals to promote VBC initiatives. Read More »

  1. How Amazon, JPM, Berkshire Hathaway could disrupt healthcare (or not)

The combination of the e-commerce giant, a 200-year-old multinational investment bank and Warren Buffet’s redoubtable holding company joining forces to take on healthcare costs spooked investors in traditional industry players. The venture added a slew of big names to its C-suite, including Atul Gawande and Jack Stoddard for CEO and COO, respectively. Read More »

 

 

 

A Brief Look at Medicare Market Share for Six Major Metro Areas

https://www.markfarrah.com/mfa-briefs/a-brief-look-at-medicare-market-share-for-six-major-metro-areas/

Image result for Market Share

Medicare Advantage plans continue to be an attractive option for the rapidly increasing senior population.  As of November 2018, total Medicare Advantage (MA) membership stood at over 21.6 million, representing approximately 34% of the 63.7 million Americans eligible for Medicare.  Health plan enrollment and market share data are important metrics for health insurers to assess in order to identify opportunities and make better business decisions about products and services.  Companies not only look at their own market positions but also routinely analyze competitor membership to evaluate relative market share.  Industry analysts often assess market share at the county or metropolitan statistical area (MSA) level in order to gain a more complete competitive picture of the market.  This brief presents an overview of Medicare market demographics and market share data, with a focus on health plan market position for six major metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the U.S.

Competition and Market Share

For the purposes of this brief, MFA first looked at the competitive mix in the Medicare and Medicare Advantage markets through analysis of enrollment figures from the Health Coverage Portal™ and Medicare Business Online™ by metropolitan areas in the United States. 

  • Seniors have a choice between coverage offered by original Medicare and Medicare Advantage (MA).  While potential market size is an important metric, understanding the insurance preferences of seniors requires a closer look at enrollment within each area.  How seniors are behaving as consumers varies greatly among the metropolitan areas.  To shed more light on these differences, Mark Farrah Associates calculated the penetration rate for original Medicare & Medicare Advantage plans.  Penetration rate is calculated by dividing the number of plan members by the number of those eligible for Medicare.  The penetration rate provides the overall market share which can be used to analyze seniors’ choice between sticking with original Medicare and choosing a Medicare Advantage plan.
  • There is a greater degree of variability across the top 6 MSAs when considering original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage penetration rates, per the chart above. The Chicago MSA has the highest original Medicare rate at just over 70.9% with the lowest Medicare Advantage penetration rate (24.1%). Similarly, Philadelphia is well below the national average with a Medicare Advantage penetration rate of 28.1%.  One reason for the lower Medicare Advantage penetration in both Chicago and Philadelphia is the popularity of Medicare Supplement plans in both Illinois and Pennsylvania. On the other hand, Miami is currently sitting with only 41.5% of those eligible enrolled in original Medicare with the highest penetration rate of the 6 MSAs in the Medicare Advantage market at 53.5%. Los Angeles also records above average Medicare Advantage popularity with almost a 48% penetration rate.
  • Based on MFA’s county estimates, the above table provides the top Medicare Advantage companies and their corresponding market share in each of the top MSAs. UnitedHealth Group appears to have a strong foothold in 5 of the MSAs above, except for the Philadelphia MSA. Humana also has a large presence across the selected MSAs.

Conclusion

Eligibility, geographic location, income levels and overall health status of a population are just a few determinants of Medicare penetration in a particular area.  While further demographic insight would be required to discern why Medicare and Medicare Advantage penetration is higher in some areas more than others, it is clear that the competitive mix among these MSAs indicates varying degrees of consumer choice.  Nonetheless, the Medicare market continues to grow as more and more Americans of the Baby Boom generation enter retirement age.  As always, Mark Farrah Associates will monitor enrollment trends and industry shifts in this highly competitive segment.

 

 

 

Healthcare Triage: Medicare for All and Administrative Costs

Healthcare Triage: Medicare for All and Administrative Costs

Image result for Healthcare Triage: Medicare for All and Administrative Costs

Political talk is getting more and more serious around Medicare for All in the United States. The argument, as usual comes down to costs. One of the advantages that proponents always bring up are the very low administrative costs of Medicare. Are those low costs for real? Would they hold up if everyone was in the system? Healthcare Triage looks at the facts.

 

 

Feds are ready to claw back billions from Medicare insurers

https://www.axios.com/cms-clawback-medicare-advantage-audits-health-insurance-92edb13e-5abd-4527-8503-c0c74b501d58.html

A person picks up a medical chart from a long row in a cabinet.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is ready to charge ahead with broad audits of Medicare Advantage plans, which could result in companies paying back billions of taxpayers dollars to the federal government.

The big picture: The threat of these federal audits has existed for several years, but the audits haven’t led to large clawbacks yet. CMS now has an estimate of those improper payments to insurers: almost $14.4 billion in 2017, or 7% of Medicare Advantage spending from that year.

Show less

How it works: The federal government pays Medicare Advantage companies monthly amounts based on how sick their enrollees are. Insurers code the conditions people have, and the more health problems someone has, the more insurers get paid.

  • But regulators are conducting “risk adjustment data validation” (RADV) audits that compare patient medical codes submitted by health insurers with the actual codes that doctors put in patient medical records.
  • The goal is to see if Medicare Advantage insurers are exaggerating people’s health conditions to get higher payments.
  • An investigation from the Center for Public Integrity detailed how the industry has manipulated these so-called “risk scores.”

Driving the news: New proposed regulations lay out the federal government’s legal authority for the audits.

  • CMS says it will audit the diagnoses of about 200 people in any given health plan and then extrapolate the results across the insurer’s entire Medicare Advantage population — leading to potentially large clawbacks for insurers that improperly code conditions.
  • An accompanying federal analysis separately found that coding errors in the traditional Medicare program have no bearing on how Medicare Advantage insurers are paid, and thus RADV audits should not adjust for those discrepancies. The analysis, in essence, pokes a hole in a recent federal ruling that favored insurers.

The bottom line: CMS appears ready to step on the gas and recoup money it believes the industry has bilked from taxpayers. Health insurers have long been frightened of RADV audits — every major publicly traded insurer lists the audits as a top “risk factor” in their annual filings to investors.

  • “CMS has a strong requirement to ensure accuracy of payments because of the magnitude of dollars flying around,” said Jessica Smith, a consultant at Gorman Health Group who studies risk adjustment.

Between the lines: Health insurers have successfully fought off or watered down these audits since they were first proposed. The industry almost certainly will work to weaken any final regulation.

  • America’s Health Insurance Plans — the industry’s leading lobbying group, which has made Medicare Advantage a priority as more insurers rely on the program for revenue — has already warned the audits must be “sound” and “legally appropriate.”

 

 

Is Medicare for All the Answer to Sky-High Administrative Costs?

Is Medicare for All the Answer to Sky-High Administrative Costs?

Related image

 

Calls for a Medicare for All system are growing louder. Many Democrats have embraced it, while President Trump said last week that it would raise health care costs drastically.

Democrats say that giving people the option to partake in Medicare — no matter their age — will actually cut costs.

American administrative costs for health care are the highest in the world, and they argue that one advantage of Medicare for All is that it would save money because Medicare’s administrative costs are below those of private insurers.

Does that argument hold up?

Medicare’s administrative costs were $8.1 billion last year, or 1.1 percent of total spending, close to the proportion it has been in recent years.

But some have argued that the actual cost is higher because of services performed for Medicare by other parts of the government that aren’t accounted for: The Social Security Administration collects premiums, the Internal Revenue Service collects taxes for the program, the F.B.I. provides fraud prevention services, and at least seven other federal agencies and departments also do work that benefits Medicare.

The claim that these administrative costs are overlooked is false. As annual reporting of Medicare’s finances plainly states, they are accounted for.

But there is something missing from the $8.1 billion Medicare administrative cost figure, as Kip Sullivan explains in a 2013 paper published in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. Although it accurately accounts for the federal government’s administrative costs, it does not include those borne by private plans that also offer Medicare benefits.

In addition to the traditional (public) Medicare plan, Medicare is also available from private plans through the Medicare Advantage program. Today, one-third of people using Medicare are in such plans, up from about one-fifth a decade ago. Moreover, all Medicare drug benefits are administered through private plans.

National Health Expenditure data shows both the government’s administrative costs for Medicare and those of Medicare’s private plans. Putting them together for the most recent year available (2016), they reach $47 billion, or 7 percent of total Medicare spending — well above the administrative costs borne directly by the Medicare program.

Medicare’s private drug benefit plans incur administrative costs that are about 11 percent of their spending. All of this additional, private administrative cost is paid for by taxpayers and, through their premiums, people who use Medicare.

Medicare’s direct administrative costs are not only low, but they also have been falling over the years, as a percent of total program spending. Yet the program’s total administrative costs — including those of the private plans — have been rising.

“This reflects a shift toward more enrollment in private plans,” Mr. Sullivan said. “The growth of those plans has raised, not lowered, overall Medicare administrative costs.”

Making an accurate estimate of the administrative costs of Medicare for All would depend, in part, on whether it would be more like an expansion of traditional Medicare (with its 1.1 percent administrative cost rate) or of all of Medicare, including its private plans (with a combined 7 percent administrative cost rate).

Yet both figures are well below private insurers’ administrative costs, which run about 13 percent of spending (this also includes profit), according to America’s Health Insurance Plans, an advocacy organization for the industry.

Some critics have argued that Medicare’s administrative cost rate appears artificially low because Medicare enrollees’ health spending is so high. Average Medicare spending per beneficiary is just over $12,000 per year; for an average worker in a private plan, it’s about $6,000. If you simply divide administrative costs by total spending, you will get a lower number for Medicare for this reason alone.

This is true, but the government’s administrative costs for Medicare are still below those of private plans. The government’s administrative costs are about $132 per person compared with over $700 for private plans. One reason Medicare’s are so much lower is that it reaps economies of scale. It also benefits from not needing to do much marketing, and it doesn’t earn profits.

UPMC, Highmark face off over out-of-network prepayment rule: 5 things to know

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/payer-issues/upmc-highmark-face-off-over-out-of-network-prepayment-rule-5-things-to-know.html

Image result for out of network providers

A state-brokered consent decree between Pittsburgh rivals Highmark Health and UPMC expires June 30, 2019, after which Highmark’s Medicare Advantage members will be unable to access UPMC at in-network rates. A recent report from Trib Live found the systems are clashing over a new rule concerning how some nonemergent care will be paid for by out-of-network Highmark members.

Here are five things to know:

1. Beginning in July, Highmark MA members will have to pay any estimated upfront charges for nonemergent treatment in full before accessing care from most UPMC providers, UPMC said in an Oct. 1 internal memo.

2. For example, a Highmark MA member wishing to schedule a surgery next July at most UPMC hospitals will have to request an estimate for the service from UPMC and pay it in full before undergoing surgery, according to Trib Live, which cites the internal memo.

3. Partial payments or arranged payment plans will not be accepted, according to UPMC. “If you choose to access nonemergency care from a UPMC provider that is out-of-network, you will be required to pay in advance,” a UPMC mailer sent to patients explains. It adds that patients can maintain in-network access to UPMC through plans sold by Aetna, its subsidiary Coventry, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare.

4. Highmark officials were surprised by the new rule. They told Trib Live the mandate is “an extremely unusual” move by UPMC. A Highmark spokesperson told the publication the rule runs counter to other “providers across the nation, when our Medicare Advantage members travel and may see an out-of-network provider.”

5. A UPMC spokesperson told Trib Live the system sent out the Oct. 1 memo to physicians “because we didn’t want any of their patients to be surprised.”

 

Three-fourths of Medicare Advantage denials overturned on appeal, OIG finds

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/three-fourths-of-medicare-advantage-denials-overturned-on-appeal-oig-finds/533463/

Dive Brief:

  • An investigation by the HHS Office of Inspector General found large numbers of overturned denials upon appeal from Medicare Advantage organizations, raising concerns that some needed payments and services aren’t going to providers and patients.
  • Between 2014 and 2016, MAOs reversed 75% of their own denials, or about 216,000 a year, according to a report released Thursday. Additional denials were overturned by independent reviewers at higher levels of the appeals process.
  • The numbers are particularly troubling because of the infrequency with which beneficiaries and providers used the appeals process — for just 1% of denials at the initial appeal level, according to the report. 

Dive Insight:

The findings are important in light of the growing popularity of Medicare Advantage. Payers like the stability of the marketplace, and it’s popular with patients, too. In a recent Avalere Health study, MA beneficiaries with chronic conditions had 23% fewer inpatient stays and 33% fewer emergency department visits than people enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service plans.

That said, neither providers nor patients want to feel like they regularly have to appeal payment or service denials, especially with out-of-pocket costs on the rise.

Of the roughly 216,000 overturned denials, more than 80% were payments to providers for services the beneficiary had already received. The remainder — 18% — were for preauthorization of services not yet rendered.

But while some denials are justified, filing and processing appeals puts a burden on providers, MAOs and beneficiaries, especially those needing immediate care, OIG says. 

“Further, although overturned payment denials do not affect access to services for the associated beneficiaries, the denials may impact future access,” the report states. “Providers may be discouraged from ordering services that are frequently denied — even when medically necessary —to avoid the appeals process.”

OIG also points to CMS audits that show “widespread and persistent” problems with MAO denials of payment and care. In 2015, for instance, CMS cited more than half of audited contracts for inappropriate denials and 45% for sending incomplete denial letters. The latter could hinder efforts to successfully appeal a denial, the report notes.

While the agency imposed penalties and sanctions against the affected MAOs, more action is needed, the HHS watchdog says.

Specifically, OIG recommends CMS boost oversight of MAO contracts, with an eye toward identifying those with high overturn rates, and take enforcement actions when needed. The report also calls on CMS to address chronic issues around inappropriate denials and deficient denial letters and inform beneficiaries of serious MAO violations. 

CMS agreed to all three suggestions.

 

Oxygen equipment provider Lincare pays $5.25M to settle Medicare Advantage fraud suit

https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/lincare-oxygen-durable-equipment-medicare-advantage-fraud-settlement?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTjJRMlpERTBObU0yWldOaiIsInQiOiJPMDVjRGNQVzcxMjIzOGt1ZTZva0R2YU1PXC9mYkczVEtYVHNHWmZzSHc1TjU1RGRZZ1o4VVprZStEV3R3VWdXWFwvQlRoYVg4cGpzakZIOFFkMkthRnVPbVwvNEUwQ3ptOVozRGQ0U3IyVDFENENmZTErMjc3TDhRYlwvaUlrT1oxSWgifQ%3D%3D&mrkid=959610

The word fraud framed by other words

One of the country’s largest suppliers of oxygen and respiratory equipment has agreed to pay $5.25 million to settle allegations that it violated anti-kickback laws by reducing copayments for certain Medicare Advantage members.

Lincare has also entered into a corporate integrity agreement with the Office of Inspector General, the Department of Justice announced last week.

The settlement resolves allegations filed by former billing supervisor Brian Thomas, who worked for nearly a decade at the Florida-based company. In his 2015 complaint, which was later joined by federal prosecutors, Thomas claimed Lincare waived copays for Humana’s Medicare Advantage members beginning in December 2011 after the insurer contracted with Apria Healthcare to be an exclusive in-network provider of medical equipment.

In his complaint, Thomas said Lincare matched network benefits by reducing copays from Humana beneficiaries from 30% to 13% to align with copays from Apria. Humana was left paying for a higher charge using government funds.

Lincare was purchased by The Linde Group, a German industrial gas company, for $3.8 billion in 2012. The government alleged Lincare continued the scheme through 2017.

It’s the second major settlement for Lincare, which operates about 1,000 locations across the country. In May, the company paid $875,000 to settle a class action lawsuit from employers who had their information stolen during a data breach.

 

 

 

Anthem partners with Walmart to expand access to over-the-counter drugs

https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/anthem-walmart-over-counter-medicine-medicare-advantage-retail?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTjJRMlpERTBObU0yWldOaiIsInQiOiJPMDVjRGNQVzcxMjIzOGt1ZTZva0R2YU1PXC9mYkczVEtYVHNHWmZzSHc1TjU1RGRZZ1o4VVprZStEV3R3VWdXWFwvQlRoYVg4cGpzakZIOFFkMkthRnVPbVwvNEUwQ3ptOVozRGQ0U3IyVDFENENmZTErMjc3TDhRYlwvaUlrT1oxSWgifQ%3D%3D&mrkid=959610

Walmart sign

Anthem has entered a new partnership with retail giant Walmart to offer members access to over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

Beginning in January, Anthem’s Medicare Advantage members will be able to use OTC plan allowances to purchase medications and other supplies such as support braces and pain relievers, the two companies announced on Monday.

Previously, MA beneficiaries with OTC allowances could purchase medications through a catalog or by calling a designated number. Some members were provided a card they could use at a limited set of retail stores.

The new partnership significantly expands access to OTC drugs and supplies by allowing members to make purchases at any of Walmart’s 4,700 locations. 

“The program with Walmart will allow consumers to pick the shopping method that best fits their lifestyle and the initiative is expected to significantly reduce the out-of-pocket cost burden for those enrolled in Anthem’s affiliated MA health plan,” Anthem spokesperson Hieu Nguyen said in an email.

Walmart says 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart. The partnership will also give members access to free two-day shipping on orders $35 or more.

“We believe that programs like this can make a tremendous difference for healthcare consumers who often live on a fixed income or are managing chronic medical conditions,” Felicia Norwood, executive vice president and president of Anthem’s Government Business Division, said in a statement. Sean Slovenski, senior vice president of health and wellness at Walmart, said the company is “thrilled to be working with Anthem to provide its Medicare Advantage members with convenient access to our broad assortment of high-quality over-the-counter products.”

Interestingly, the partnership comes months after Walmart was reportedly considering an acquisition of Humana. Slovenski, the former vice president of innovation at Humana, joined Walmart last month. 

 

Humana completes sale of long-term care insurance policy business KMG, at a loss of $790 million

https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/humana-completes-sale-long-term-care-insurance-policy-business-kmg-loss-790-million?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWTJNeE5UZzRNalU1WWprMSIsInQiOiJRNjRWYXFQcSt3aHpGMlB4RVwvbXA3ckt4MVlxZ04zeHl5VWtKMzB4V2dpa21LTTY3U2pMdWlnSHh3MXRMWlwvWkdQNEdldGVjRWpWUG5Md0xmbTlQVE0zVTdFUStxY0lQcmNpUkRRRHpPelZSOUNBTW90WDNNbGd1ekZsZGZHVU04In0%3D

Image result for humana headquarters

Humana has completed the sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary KMG America Corporation, in a transaction first announced in November 2017.

Humana has owned KMG since 2007.

KMG subsidiary, Kanawha Insurance Company, offers commercial, long-term care insurance policies and currently serves an estimated 29,300 policyholders.

Humana sold its shares in KMG for a reported $2.4 billion to HC2 Holdings, which includes Continental General Insurance Company, based in Texas.

In its second quarter earnings statement, Humana reported a $790 million loss on the sale of KMG, which is expected to close during the third quarter.

Humana said it would no longer have plans in the commercial long-term care insurance business.

Humana instead is closing on two transactions to acquire an at-home provider in Kindred at Home and Curo Health Services, which specializes in hospice care, according to the Q2 report.

Curo provides hospice care in 22 states. Humana and a consortium of TPG Capital and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, purchased Curo for $1.4 billion, Humana announced in April.

Humana will have a 40 percent interest.

Also, this past June, Humana partnered with Walgreens Boots Alliance in a pilot to operate senior-focused primary care clinics inside of two drug stores in the Kansas City, Missouri area.

Revenue remained strong for the insurer, which specializes in Medicare Advantage plans. Its MA business in Q2 realized both growth and lower utilization.

While revenue remained strong, Humana’s net income dropped to a reported $684 million this year compared to $1.8 billion last year.

The insurer benefitted from a lower tax rate year-over-year as a result of the tax reform law and negatively felt the return of health insurance tax in 2018.

“Our strong 2018 financial results are testimony to the underlying improvement in our operating metrics, like Net Promoter Score, digital self-service utilization and call transfer reduction, and to the growing effectiveness of our national and local clinical programs,” said Bruce D. Broussard, Humana’s CEO and president. “Also, we took another large step this quarter in helping our members, especially those living with chronic conditions, by beginning the integration of important clinical services through our investments in Kindred at Home and Curo, and through our partnership with Walgreens.”