Humana leaves insurers group

Humana has ended its membership with the health insurance industry’s largest trade group, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

According to a Humana spokesman, the formal termination happened Dec. 31, but he said the company “has not actively participated in AHIP since early 2017.”

The move could be seen as a blow to AHIP’s influence on Capitol Hill, as Humana is the third major insurer to leave the association.

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Aetna and UnitedHealth announced their departures within months of each other in late 2015 and early 2016.

AHIP spokeswoman Kristine Grow pushed back on the idea of losing influence saying Humana communicated that the departure was a “business decision,” as opposed to anything related to policy or the direction of the organization.

Grow noted that AHIP gained 12 new members this year and said the organization turned a $1.2 million profit in 2016, compared to a $2.3 million loss in 2015. She said part of the profit was related to membership dues, which companies pay based on size.

The move also comes amid speculation that Humana could be acquired by a noninsurer, such as Walgreens or Wal-Mart.