Humana Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc. rose after congressional researchers said the U.S. Medicare program has the authority to raise payments to insurers.
A proposed 2.2% reduction in a rate that determines payment to private Medicare Advantage plans can be rescinded if officials assume Congress will block a 25% cut in physicians’ pay scheduled for next year. Medicare administrators have said they must take the annual cut into account when deciding Advantage plan rates, though Congress hasn’t followed through with the proposed doctor pay reductions for a decade.
