The year 2026 has witnessed significant movements in the payer sector, marked by nonprofit affiliations and strategic transactions by major players such as Centene and Humana. Providence, based in Renton, Washington, plans to scale back most of its health insurance operations, maintaining only its Medicare Advantage business through a national carrier agreement starting in 2027. CVS Health has received court approval to sell Omnicare, its long-term care pharmacy division, to GenieRx for $250 million. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is entering the third-party administrator market with HealthEZ, offering solutions from January 1, 2027. The Cigna Group is exploring options for its utilization management subsidiary, EviCore, under Evernorth. UnitedHealth Group aims to acquire Alegeus Technologies, a health benefits administration platform, and has sold its UK subsidiary, Optum UK, to TPG, with its primary asset being the software company EMIS Group. These developments will be part of the discussions at the upcoming Fall Payer Issues Roundtable in Chicago, focusing on value-based care, regulatory changes, and innovations in payer-provider collaboration.
What are the latest updates in payer M&A activities?
