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.
The cost of fighting back: why provider-payor disputes are no longer just about rates
Provider-payor disputes increasingly involve payor policies like site of care, downcoding, and claims reviews. Here’s why the cost of fighting back may be lower than the cost of accepting a new normal.
Why the fight over the 340B program is becoming a major hospital revenue battle
Who controls the value created by the 340B Program? Recent lawsuits, state laws, and federal appeals are changing the answer.
Q1 2026 payor earnings: The pressure is moving operationally
Rising claims payment delays, tighter utilization management, Medicare Advantage pressure – what you need to know from the Q1 2026 payor earnings report.
Will AI make the financial side of healthcare easier?
Payor investments in AI are changing more than technology. Increased margin pressure, more denials, and slower payments are just the beginning.
The conversation healthcare keeps avoiding: money
Financial barriers to healthcare access are shaping when—and whether—patients seek treatment. Here’s why healthcare leaders need to address cost directly.
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.
The Break Up Big Medicine Act and the future of vertical integration in healthcare
Vertical integration in healthcare was supposed to improve coordination. The Break Up Big Medicine Act asks whether it created something else instead.
When the fox starts teaching poultry management
When a payor helps shape medical education, the risk isn’t knowledge, it’s normalization. Why UnitedHealth’s role in training physicians should concern us all.