Q2 2026 payor earnings show a more selective approach to growth
Q2 2026 payor earnings showed it was a pretty good quarter for the country’s largest health insurers. Financial performance generally improved, several companies increased their full-year outlooks, and some of the medical-cost pressure that dominated managed-care results over the past year showed signs of becoming more manageable. The more interesting story was happening in membership. […]
The access to care blind spot: how healthcare decisions are hiding inside benefit design
Every coverage decision is also a healthcare decision. Explore how benefit design affects access to care and uncover the hidden costs of fragmented coverage.
Six months later: how did we do?
Our mid-year review of 2026 managed care trends examines Medicare Advantage, AI, healthcare affordability, provider-payor disputes, and what’s shaping healthcare next.
Q4 2025 payor earnings: what they said — and what it means for providers
In Q4 2025 earnings calls payors signaled a move toward more margin discipline. Lower MLR guidance, tighter utilization, and more admin friction are coming. Providers should pay attention.
Q3 2025 earnings recap: higher revenue, elevated costs, and payors prepping to pivot
The Q3 2025 payor earnings report confirms managed care’s core economics are shifting, and not in payors’ preferred direction. Here’s what you need to know.
Exploring Power Imbalances in Managed Care
Originally published in First Report Managed Care, this article explores the power imbalances in managed care and three key areas to watch.
Months later: Have health insurers delivered on their prior auth promises?
Health insurance companies pledge prior authorization reform, yet providers face ongoing delays and distrust, highlighting the gap between promises and reality.
The Pivot: The (im)perfect storm hospitals face in 2026 and 2027
In the next 18-24 months, headwinds facing healthcare providers will become a full-blown hurricane.
Unlock CEO, Brandon Edwards, explores factors that must be addressed as providers prepare to weather the coming storm.
What the heck is going on with the increased Medical Loss Ration and the health insurance business?
Facing increased medical loss ratios, there’s only one place for payor to go to regain control: providers. What you need to know to prepare for what’s ahead.