Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) remained in the headlines Friday, this time for its reported ties to Walmart (NYSE: WMT) in potential deal talks.
Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Cigna Group (NYSE: CI) and Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) are already in touch about a possible combination.
But on Friday morning, research and advisory firm Gordon Haskett reported that a Humana corporate jet flew into Rogers, Arkansas, near Walmart’s headquarters, on Friday.
But that’s not the only thing that has fueled speculation.
Walmart considered acquiring Humana as early as 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time.
Cigna and Humana may be able to offload assets and close deals without regulatory oversight, but Walmart may face fewer problems. Although the retailer has little direct overlap with Humana’s services and products, it would still be a big hit if the two companies struck a deal.
That could also mean Walmart getting into the home health care business. Humana owns CenterWell Home Health, one of the largest home health care providers in the country.
Walmart is not new to health care. In fact, since the company first considered acquiring Humana in 2018, it has slowly but surely been making inroads into healthcare and home care.
As an example, in 2019, Humana partnered with Amedisys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) in an effort to strengthen access to home health care across the United States. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is currently in the process of acquiring Amedisys.
Humana and Walmart also collaborated on coronavirus vaccination efforts that began in 2020.
Most recently, Walmart entered into an “extensive 10-year” collaboration with UnitedHealth Group.
“We are on a journey to transform health care and connect more people to the right care at the right time, at the right cost,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said last year. ” he said. “This partnership puts patients at the center of healthcare by leveraging the strengths and complementary skill sets of both companies to accelerate access to quality care.”
Walmart Health has also recently made efforts to increase participation in Medicare Advantage (MA). Axios said the company has set a goal of adding 28 more clinics to its stores by 2024.
These clinics offer primary care, behavioral health services, vision testing, and dental care. Humana is of course one of the biggest MA players in the US. There are over 5 million MA beneficiaries and the number is growing rapidly.
Humana did not respond to a request for comment on this story.