Last month, Aetna announced its proposition to acquire Humana, which would make Aetna the second largest insurer in the country. Because of Humana’s large share of Medicaid Advantage customers, this signifies a landmark health merger, which would bring Aetna’s total Advantage members to approximately 4.4 million.
Bruce D. Broussard, president and CEO of Humana had this to say about the merger:
“Through the use of technology and integrated services to simplify the consumer experience, the combined entity will be even more effective in meeting the health needs of many more people–especially people with chronic conditions, who will benefit from Humana’s home health, pharmacy management and data analytics programs.”
Together, Aetna and Humana hope to make strides in changing healthcare delivery, creating a more consumer-focused marketplace. Following SGR Repeal in April, this news may be an indicator of future stability and growth in the industry overall, in addition to a shift for reduced care costs and efficiency.
“A key thing for larger orthopaedic providers to take away from this merger and several others to follow is leverage. Larger providers will have more leverage in negotiations,” says OrthoTennessee CEO Glenn Sumner. “In this changing healthcare climate, all orthopaedic providers need to continue to evaluate their care models and strategy, while looking for ways to remain competitive and improve quality.”
Read more about the Aetna-Humana merger from Aetna here.