Health Alliance Plan has named Margaret Anderson as interim president. 

UnitedHealthcare and Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health have reached an agreement that will keep the health system in the payer's Medicare Advantage network in 2025.

A federal jury has ordered Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to pay nearly $13 million in damages to a former employee who said she was wrongfully terminated for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

California has fined Spring Health $1 million for selling healthcare services in the state without a license.

Cigna directly confirmed that it is not pursuing a merger with Humana. 

Utah has the highest percentage of residents enrolled in commercial health plans (60%), New Mexico has the highest percentage enrolled in Medicaid (34%), and West Virginia has the highest percentage enrolled in Medicare (20%), according to a health coverage report for 2023 published by KFF.

A mobile app offered to individuals covered by Centene's Medicaid plan in Arizona improved medication adherence, and reduced healthcare visits and costs, according to a study published Oct. 21 in The American Journal of Managed Care.

Aetna and Optum have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused the companies of improperly charging administrative fees as medical expenses. 

The country's largest payers reported year-over-year increases in medical cost ratios.

Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners has reached an agreement on a multi-year contract with UnitedHealthcare.

The nation's largest payers have filed their third-quarter earnings reports, revealing which recorded the largest profits.

Donald Trump's second term as president likely will have significant implications for healthcare, including the Medicare Advantage program, which provides health coverage to more than half of the nation's older adults.

CVS Health's new CEO is prepared to make "hard choices" to turn around Aetna's performance. 

South Dakota voters have approved a ballot measure that allows state officials to consider work requirements for Medicaid expansion recipients, South Dakota Spotlight reported Nov. 6. 

CVS Health named Steve Nelson as president of Aetna, effective Nov. 6. 

Medicare Advantage insurers' stocks rallied upon news of Donald Trump's impending return to the White House, Bloomberg reported Nov. 6. 

Illinois voters have passed an advisory referendum aimed at requiring all health plans that cover pregnancy to also cover in vitro fertilization, or IVF, and other assisted reproductive treatments on an unlimited basis.

California voters approved a measure Nov. 5 to make an existing tax on managed care plans permanent to help fund Medi-Cal, Cal Matters. 

Medicare Advantage plans were paid more than $1 billion for veterans who did not use any Medicare services, according to a study published in the November issue of Health Affairs. 

From Blue Shield of California partnering with Salesforce to a Senate report accusing Medicare Advantage plans of intentionally using prior authorization to boost profits, here are seven prior authorization updates Becker's has reported since Oct. 1: