Author: Jakob Emerson

Providence Health Plan has named Louis Flocco as its new chief of underwriting.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia has partnered with value-based physician platform Aledade to expand access to primary care for more than 150,000 Medicaid beneficiaries across Virginia.

Arizona has awarded long-term managed care contracts to Centene and UnitedHealthcare.

30 payers have been ranked by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for their inclusivity toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. 

Centene's Ambetter Health is partnering with health benefits platform Take Command to offer individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements to employers in Indiana starting next year. 

Optum patients who are enrolled in fully accountable Medicare Advantage plans — where Optum takes full financial and clinical responsibility — have better health outcomes than patients enrolled in traditional Medicare, according to UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Highmark Blue Shield has named Ken Lawrence as senior vice president of corporate affairs for southeastern Pennsylvania as the company expands its health plans into the Philadelphia area next year. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is looking to the payer-provider example set by Kaiser Permanente as the Phoenix-based company expands its primary care subsidiary Prosano Health Solutions, the Phoenix Business Journal reported Nov. 20.

The Cigna Group and Humana are "in talks" to merge, The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 29.

UnitedHealthcare and Cigna Healthcare are facing lawsuits from members or their families alleging the organizations use automated data tools to wrongfully deny members' medical claims. The allegations come amid broader ongoing conversations among policymakers around insurers' use of algorithms and…