30 Jan Health Data News Roundup: 2023 Medicare Advantage Challenges; Elevance Health to Acquire BCBSLA; and Addressesing Patient Matching Accuracy

Welcome to the Health Data Weekly News Roundup from IMAT Solutions. As the power of data continues to grow in the healthcare arena, today’s care organizations need to be on the forefront of all news and trends to help ensure that their data analytics efforts deliver accountable and informed care. Each week, we will provide you with the actionable news you need to meet these goals.

Why 2023 Could Bring Medicare Advantage Challenges for Payers
Upcoming adjustments to Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data validation could create significant challenges for payers this year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Elevance Health Will Acquire BCBSLA, Improve Care Access in LA
Elevance Health has announced plans to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA), with the payers aiming to improve care access, quality, and affordability for Louisiana members.

Employer-Sponsored Health Plans Face High Costs for SUD Treatment
Employer-sponsored health plans paid $35.3 billion to cover substance use disorder treatments in 2018, according to a recent study.

Medicare Pays Medicare Advantage Plans 6% More Than FFS Medicare
Medicare Advantage enrollment as a share of overall Medicare enrollment continued to rise in 2022, but payment inequity calls for serious reforms, according to a presentation from MedPAC.

Regenstrief Institute Framework Addresses Patient Matching Accuracy
Regenstrief Institute researchers recently announced the launch of an eight-point framework that aims to improve patient matching accuracy through algorithm evaluations.

Humana’s CenterWell Opening 10 Clinics in North Texas in 2023
Humana plans to open 10 primary care clinics in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area in 2023, part of a major expansion of the older-adult-focused primary care clinics.