Michael Ha

Michael Ha, senior research analyst at Baird who covers healthcare and insurance, explains the shock from CMS's tiny Medicare Advantage rate and why insurers' stocks plunged. He outlines how lower rates and tighter risk adjustment could mean reduced benefits for seniors. He also breaks down why coding controversies hit certain insurers harder and what that means for the market.

In this discussion, Michael Ha, a managed care analyst at Baird, dives into the significant issues plaguing UnitedHealthcare, with special emphasis on the aftermath of CEO Brian Thompson's tragic murder. He unpacks the depth of Optum's struggles and United's aggressive coding practices that have raised industry concerns. Michael also examines the root causes of the company's crisis and questions why it has taken so long for UnitedHealthcare to address these challenges.

Michael Ha, a Baird healthcare analyst known for data-driven work on Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and PBM dynamics, joins to dissect turmoil across insurers. They dig into risk adjustment coding, Optum’s rising pains after acquisitions, Medicare Advantage rate changes, Molina’s Medicaid pressures, and why vertical integration and PBMs complicate drug pricing. Short, sharp, and sector-focused.