ELEVANCE HEALTH, INC. The pandemic has shut down large portions of the economy and forced many companies to abandon their forecasts. But insurers so far have said they don't know enough yet about COVID's impact to take such a radical step.
They are still trying to understand the cost of treating patients, especially those who wind up spending days in the hospital. They also don't know yet how many companies will cut employees with health coverage and dent their enrollment.
Then there are elective surgeries or procedures that aren't emergencies.
Many have been postponed or cancelled. Most will be rescheduled so those bills won't go away. But they may arrive later this year or in 2021, depending on how jammed surgery center schedules become once people feel comfortable enough to leave quarantines.
“The future may look markedly different from what anyone expects,”
The pandemic spread too late in the quarter in
But insurers expect to see their enrollment shift as companies lay off workers who may then lose their employer-sponsored health insurance.
As many as 50% of
That doesn't necessarily amount to lost business, since
The Blue Cross-
Analysts forecast, on average, earnings of
Medicare Advantage coverage provider
The nation’s largest health insurance provider,
Follow
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission., source
