Longevity Episode 1: Obesity
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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Centene Reports $253 Million Loss Amid Health Insurer Cost Struggles
Centene chief executive officer Sarah London on Friday July 25, 2025 said the company is ... More "disappointed by our second quarter results, but we have a clear understanding of the trends that have impacted our performance, and are working with urgency and focus to restore our earnings trajectory." In this photo, London speaks during the Forbes Healthcare Summit in New York, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg Health insurer Centene reported a $253 million loss in its second quarter as the provider of government-subsidized benefits struggles to manage costs of its health plan members. The $253 million loss, or 51 cents a share, compares to a $1.1 billion in net income, or $2.16 a share, in the second quarter of last year, Centene disclosed Friday in its quarterly earnings report. Centene said premium and service revenues increased 18% to $42.5 billion from $36 billion in the year ago period. Centene, which has 28 million health plan subscribers, is seeing rising costs among health plan members in all three government-subsidized benefits it helps manage: Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and individual coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. "We are disappointed by our second quarter results, but we have a clear understanding of the trends that have impacted our performance and are working with urgency and focus to restore our earnings trajectory," Centene Chief Executive Officer Sarah M. London said in a statement accompanying the company's earnings report. "Despite the shifting landscape, we believe that the staying power of Medicaid, Medicare and the Individual Marketplace is as strong as it has ever been. Centene has significantly fortified our platform in service of these programs over the last three years, and as we move forward, we are focused on continuing to adapt with the market to deliver meaningful value to our members, our stakeholders and our shareholders over the long term." Centene, which planned to reveal its 2025 profit forecast during a call with analysts Friday morning, pulled its financial guidance earlier this month, citing an independent firm's analysis showing patients it provides health benefits for were sicker and needed more healthcare services than anticipated. On Friday, Centene said its health benefits ratio, which is the percentage of premium revenue that goes toward medical costs, jumped to 93% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 87.6% in the comparable period in 2024. 'The (health benefits ratio) increase was primarily driven by a reduction in the company's net 2025 Marketplace risk adjustment revenue transfer estimate, increased Marketplace medical costs, higher medical costs in Medicaid driven primarily by behavioral health, home health and high-cost drugs, and an increase to the 2025 Medicare Advantage premium deficiency reserve based on the progression of earnings during the year (with higher earnings at the beginning of the year and lower at the end of the year, given cost sharing progression),' Centene said in its second quarter earnings report. Centene's cost struggles are only the latest among a parade of health insurance companies that have struggled in the last two years to control costs of subscribers in plans subsidized by the government. Just last week, Elevance Health, which sells Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in 14 states, lower its profit forecast for the rest of 2025 due to rising costs in its Medicaid plans and individual policies it sells under the Affordable Care Act. In addition, Molina Healthcare lowered its earnings guidance for the rest of the year in the face of cost pressures in all three of the government-subsidized health insurance programs it helps manage: Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and individual coverage under the ACA, also known as Obamacare. And in May, UnitedHealth suspended its financial outlook for the rest of the year and replaced its top executive as the parent of UnitedHealthcare grapples with rising healthcare costs in its Medicare Advantage business. Medicare Advantage plans contract with the federal government to provide health benefits to seniors. Medicare Advantage plans also contributed to struggles last year for Humana and CVS Health, which elevated a new chief executive in part to help gain control of its struggling Aetna health insurance business. CVS is also exiting the individual health insurance business, leaving about 1 million Aetna members in 17 states looking for new coverage in 2026.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Weight-loss jabs could minimise the symptoms of asthma
Weight-loss jabs could help minimise asthma symptoms in obese people, according to a study. The drugs should be explored as a potential treatment for obese people with the respiratory condition, who are 'often resistant' to steroids, researchers said. Weight-loss jabs, also known as glucagon-like peptide1 receptor-agonists (GLP1-RAs), work by mimicing the hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. They were initially developed as a treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. A number of types of the drug are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS, including semaglutide, or Wegovy, and tirzepatide, or Mounjaro. Previous studies have suggested the drugs may slash the risk of illnesses like dementia and stroke, with an international team of experts exploring their potential impact on obese people with asthma. Professor David Price, University of Aberdeen chair in primary care respiratory medicine, said: 'People with obesity and asthma are unique in that they are often resistant to steroid treatments. READ MORE: Brits issued drink warning at popular Mediterranean holiday spot READ MORE: Gran banned from Asda after being accused of swapping yellow stickers 'We know that GLP1s work on inflammatory responses in the airways in a different way to traditionally used steroids.' For the study, published in Advances in Therapy, researchers analysed the records of 10,111 people on GLP1-RAs and 50,555 people who were not on the drugs. After a follow-up period, the team found that those taking weight-loss jabs lost more weight and had improved asthma control. Researchers said the findings suggest medics 'should pay attention to the relationship between GLP-1 RA and the risk of respiratory diseases'. Prof Price added: 'We found compelling evidence that GLP1s, as well as increasing weight loss, also improved asthma symptoms. In addition, it is important to note that the benefits to asthma symptoms occurred despite fairly modest weight loss of around 0.9kg over the course of the year. 'Our findings suggest that GLP1s may have beneficial effects on asthma control for people with obesity and this should be explored further.' Prof Alan Kaplan, chairperson of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada and the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, said: 'Our findings suggest that GLP1-RAs have benefits on asthma control in people with obesity, and this information should contribute to the discussions around the decision to use these drugs.' Dr Erika Kennington, head of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, said: 'Research has previously shown that people living with obesity who lose weight see improved control of their asthma, so it's encouraging to see this study show this is still the case when the weight loss is driven by drugs, like the new class of weight loss drugs. 'Although exercise can help people lose weight, for some people it can cause anxiety about becoming breathless or having an asthma attack, so people are stuck in a vicious cycle of not being able to lose weight and their asthma worsening. Therefore, where exercise hasn't worked for someone these drugs that support weight loss could offer a promising alternative. 'It's too early to say whether these drugs would be effective for people with asthma more widely. More research is needed to understand how these drugs actually improve asthma control. Funding for lung health research is on life support and urgent action is needed to increase investment.'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Weight-loss jabs could help obese people control asthma, study suggests
Weight-loss jabs could help minimise asthma symptoms in obese people, according to a study. The drugs should be explored as a potential treatment for obese people with the respiratory condition, who are 'often resistant' to steroids, researchers said. Weight-loss jabs, also known as glucagon-like peptide1 receptor-agonists (GLP1-RAs), work by mimicing the hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. They were initially developed as a treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. A number of types of the drug are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS, including semaglutide, or Wegovy, and tirzepatide, or Mounjaro. Previous studies have suggested the drugs may slash the risk of illnesses like dementia and stroke, with an international team of experts exploring their potential impact on obese people with asthma. Professor David Price, University of Aberdeen chair in primary care respiratory medicine, said: 'People with obesity and asthma are unique in that they are often resistant to steroid treatments. 'We know that GLP1s work on inflammatory responses in the airways in a different way to traditionally used steroids.' For the study, published in Advances in Therapy, researchers analysed the records of 10,111 people on GLP1-RAs and 50,555 people who were not on the drugs. After a follow-up period, the team found that those taking weight-loss jabs lost more weight and had improved asthma control. Researchers said the findings suggest medics 'should pay attention to the relationship between GLP-1 RA and the risk of respiratory diseases'. Prof Price added: 'We found compelling evidence that GLP1s, as well as increasing weight loss, also improved asthma symptoms. 'In addition, it is important to note that the benefits to asthma symptoms occurred despite fairly modest weight loss of around 0.9kg over the course of the year. 'Our findings suggest that GLP1s may have beneficial effects on asthma control for people with obesity and this should be explored further.' Prof Alan Kaplan, chairperson of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada and the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, said: 'Our findings suggest that GLP1-RAs have benefits on asthma control in people with obesity, and this information should contribute to the discussions around the decision to use these drugs.' Dr Erika Kennington, head of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, said: 'Research has previously shown that people living with obesity who lose weight see improved control of their asthma, so it's encouraging to see this study show this is still the case when the weight loss is driven by drugs, like the new class of weight loss drugs. 'Although exercise can help people lose weight, for some people it can cause anxiety about becoming breathless or having an asthma attack, so people are stuck in a vicious cycle of not being able to lose weight and their asthma worsening. 'Therefore, where exercise hasn't worked for someone these drugs that support weight loss could offer a promising alternative. 'It's too early to say whether these drugs would be effective for people with asthma more widely. 'More research is needed to understand how these drugs actually improve asthma control. Funding for lung health research is on life support and urgent action is needed to increase investment.'
