ELV (US)


April 3, 2025

Senate Budget Resolution & Healthcare Offsets

By Beth Steindecker

In response to yesterday’s Senate budget resolution proposal and the GOP’s assumption of the current policy baseline for scoring purposes, we think Congress continues to target Medicaid, Medicare hospital site neutrality, and PBM reforms as…

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March 25, 2025

HUM, ALHC, UNH: Optimistic for Mid-Single Digit MA Rate Increase for CY26, Upcoding Remains a Longer-Term Issue

By Beth Steindecker

Anticipating CMS’s issuance of its final CY26 Medicare Advantage (MA) rate notice within the next two weeks (on or before Monday, April 7), we remain optimistic about near-term regulatory changes for MA insurers [HUM, ALHC,…

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March 14, 2025

Oz Nomination: Moving towards Senate Confirmation, Medicare Advantage Comments Show Mixed View

By Beth Steindecker

Today’s Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing of Dr. Mehmet Oz as Trump’s CMS Administrator provided limited new insights into his approach to Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, pharmacy benefit management reforms, health savings account adoption, and healthcare…

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March 10, 2025

[OSCR, ELV, CNC, HCA, THC]: Targeting Obamacare Program Integrity in Rulemaking and Legislation

By Beth Steindecker

With all eyes focused on whether Congress will extend the enhanced ACA subsidies or let them lapse – we remain optimistic of a middle ground (revision and extension) – we caution investors about the headline…

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February 26, 2025

[CI, CVS, UNH, HUM, ELV, GDRX]: House Hearing Retreads Already Agreed-to PBM Reforms, Still Likely as Legislative Payfors

By Beth Steindecker

This morning’s House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on “needed” pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms attempted to reinvigorate the past bipartisan and bicameral consensus for legislative changes to rein in the PBMs, but until…

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February 23, 2025

Medicaid Reform Watch: Still Early On – What to Watch for [CNC, MOH, ARDT, CYH, ENSG, ADUS]

By Beth Steindecker

As the budget resolution process and subsequent reconciliation strategy unfolds, Medicaid reforms that have posed headline enrollment and payment risk to Medicaid insurers [CNC, MOH, ELV], dual eligible insurers [UNH, HUM, ELV, CVS],hospitals [ARDT, CYH,…

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February 21, 2025

UNH: Thoughts on Reported DOJ Investigation

By Beth Steindecker

Today’s reaction to the WSJ report that UnitedHealth (UNH) is under civil investigation by the DOJ for Medicare False Claims Act violations strikes us as overwrought, with ultimate financial liabilities (still 1-2 years away) unlikely…

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February 10, 2025

Sizing Medicaid Work Requirement Risks [CNC, MOH, ELV, THC, ARDT, ENS, ADUS]

By Beth Steindecker

As we await the House’s budget reconciliation strategy this week, the Senate FY25 budget resolution proposal released late Friday bolsters our expectations for Medicaid work requirements, which we see as one the most likely Medicaid-related…

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January 22, 2025

[OSCR, CNC, HCA, THC, WELL] Optimistic on ACA Subsidies, But Watching Other Risks

By Beth Steindecker

While investors in insurers and providers seem most concerned about the fate of the expiring enhanced ACA subsidies, which we still expect to be revised but ultimately extended later this year, other – albeit smaller…

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January 16, 2025

UNH: Though Confident, Public Policy Questions Remain

By Beth Steindecker

UnitedHealth’s (UNH) comments during its 4Q and full year 2024 earnings call about changes its it taking to head off certain public policy concerns (PBMs, prior authorization/claim denials) seem like the company is in catch-up…

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