Humana eyes CenterWell expansion this year

Photo: Luis Alvarez/Getty Images

CenterWell, Humana’s senior-focused primary care division, will continue to expand throughout 2025, with plans to open centers in new metro areas, including Augusta and Savannah, Georgia; the Triad Region (Burlington, Greensboro and Winston Salem) in North Carolina; and Wichita, Kansas.

CenterWell and Conviva expect to add 20 to 30 new centers this year in the existing states of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia through a combination of new and acquired centers.

This includes senior primary care centers co-located at select Walmart locations that began to open in 2024, with 11 remaining locations scheduled to open for patients by the middle of this year.

WHAT’S THE IMPACT

CenterWell Senior Primary Care and its sister brand, Conviva Senior Primary Care, make up Humana’s Primary Care Organization, operating under a value-based model. As of December 31 they deliver care to approximately 390,000 seniors in more than 340 centers.

Their offerings include board-certified physicians and integrated care teams that are specially trained to treat the senior population.

A Harvard University and Humana Health Research study last year found organizations that use value-based senior care models – tailoring their environment and services to the needs of older adults – offered better access to primary care when compared to other types of primary care organizations.

“With our expansion efforts, we’re taking a thoughtful approach to growth, seeking out communities that would benefit from our holistic and personalized senior care model,” said Dr. Sanjay Shetty, president of Humana’s CenterWell healthcare services segment. “And as we grow, we’re also working to further integrate CenterWell’s care delivery assets – primary care, home health and pharmacy services – with the goal of delivering improved outcomes and a superior patient experience.”

CenterWell and Convivia accept patients with original Medicare and a wide range of Medicare Advantage plans. The centers currently operate in 15 states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Texas.

THE LARGER TREND

Humana’s financial results for Q4 and for full-year 2024 show a 10% revenue increase, but that’s about the only bright spot as the insurer was hit by significant losses, according to its Q4 earnings results, released earlier this month.

Rising healthcare utilization and insufficient CMS rate increases have impacted Humana’s profitability, with shares down 50% from their 2023 peak, numbers showed.

For the quarter, Humana posted a $693 million loss, more than in the previous quarter, when it lost $541 million. Profits were also down: They stood at about $1.2 billion for the year, about half of its 2023 total, when it raked in $2.5 billion in profit.

Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.