Medicare Advantage in the headlines: 7 updates

Here are seven Medicare Advantage updates Becker’s has reported since Jan. 28:

1. A federal judge will allow a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group to partially move forward. The lawsuit alleges the company used an artificial intelligence algorithm to wrongfully deny Medicare Advantage patients post-acute care. 
2. Though margins are improving, Aetna’s Medicare Advantage business will likely operate at a loss in 2025, CVS Health CFO Tom Cowhey told investors. 
3. Atlanta-based Sonder Health Plans is rapidly expanding while aiming to keep its personalized service for members. CEO Suzanna Roberts told Becker’s the plan is rapidly expanding its customer service staff to keep up with increasing enrollment. The company has added another 2,000 members since Jan. 1.
4. Humana’s No. 1 priority is improving its margins in Medicare Advantage. Here are five things to know about the company’s strategy.                                                  
5. The sale of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage business to Health Care Service Corp. is on track to close in the first quarter of 2025, according to Cigna Group CFO Brian Evanko. Mr. Evanko, who is also CEO of Cigna Healthcare, told investors the deal has been approved by all federal regulators, and still needs to be approved by one more state regulator.
6. The number of prior authorization determinations issued by Medicare Advantage insurers continued to grow in 2023, according to a report from KFF. Here’s how major insurers compared on prior authorization rates in Medicare Advantage. 
7. The Better Medicare Alliance urged CMS to pause any policy changes to Medicare Advantage not required by law in 2026. In a press release, the pro-MA group asked the agency to prioritize “stability” in its 2026 proposed rule.