During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Humana CEO Bruce Broussard said several subsidiaries running primary care clinic will be merged into one as the insurer becomes more involved in clinical care.

According to Louisville Business First, subsidiaries MCCI Medical Group, CAC-Florida Medical Centers, Continucare Medical Centers and MetCare of Florida will be combined into a company called Conviva, remaining focused on Texas and South Florida. Some of these assets date back to 2010, ahead of more recent moves by insurers to acquire providers, like the flurry of purchases made in 2017 by UnitedHealth’s Optum unit.

“This a continued step in our belief that primary care with senior focus is a differentiator and an active part of how we feel we can increase the member experience and decrease the cost of care,” Broussard said.

He added that Humana opened 17 new clinics last year, increasing its holdings to 195 clinics in 27 markets with 1,500 physicians involved.

The insurer will make a bigger move into the clinical space with its pending acquisition of 40 percent of Kindred Healthcare’s home health and hospice care business. Humana would pay $800 billion for that stake with the rest being owned by two private equity firms which could require Humana to buy them out after three years. Broussard said on the call the company eventually wants to own the Kindred assets outright.

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