Author: Jakob Emerson

A federal judge has partially dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former Johnson & Johnson employee alleging that the pharmaceutical giant mismanaged its employees’ prescription drug benefits, thereby violating its fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. 

Aetna, Blue Shield of California and Centene's Health Net have launched a shared, value-based payment model for reimbursing primary care physicians in California.

 The Cigna Group saw a 34% decline in profits year over year as the company faces rising costs within its insurance business, according to its fourth quarter earnings report published Jan. 30.

Three TeamHealth-affiliated physician groups have filed a lawsuit against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, alleging that the insurer breached its contract by improperly reducing reimbursements for emergency services. 

From preliminary approvals to agreements with the federal government, these are five recent legal settlements involving UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries.

UnitedHealthcare has reached a settlement to resolve three proposed class action lawsuits alleging that the insurer wrongfully denied coverage for a specialized cancer treatment that plaintiffs claim is more effective but significantly more expensive than traditional radiation therapy. 

Alabama has the highest average in-network denial rate for ACA insurers, while South Dakota has the lowest, according to KFF. 

UnitedHealthcare is cutting more than 150,000 square feet of office space in Maryland Heights, Mo. as many of its employees continue to work remote or hybrid, the St. Louis Business Journal reported Jan. 23.

GuideWell, the parent company of Florida Blue, is laying off 3% of its workforce across 29 states, First Coast News reported Jan. 22.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is sounding the alarm about the escalating financial challenges facing the state's healthcare system, noting that "the cost surge was unrelenting through 2024."