Humana, UnitedHealth Soar as US Raises Medicare Advantage Rates

UnitedHealth Group Inc., Humana Inc. and other insurers that provide private Medicare Advantage plans for older Americans rose after the US agreed to boost 2027 payments by 2.48%, more than its initial proposal and a respite for an industry squeezed by federal cost-cutting efforts.

Industry leader UnitedHealth’s stock jumped as much as 10%, the most intraday since August. Humana advanced as much as 11%, while CVS Health Corp. gained as much as 6.9%.

The final policy from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services influences how more than half a trillion dollars flow through private health plans. The payment ...