1. BCBS of Western NY, Catholic Health settle dispute, renew agreement
BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and Buffalo, N.Y.-based Catholic Health settled a lawsuit and renewed a three-year contract agreement, according to Buffalo Business First.
2. Health insurers mine patient data to improve health, save money
In an effort to improve patients’ health and save money, health insurers have begun paying data miners to unearth patients’ personal information, according to STAT.
3. Sen. Blumenthal urges UnitedHealth Group CEO to reassess leaving ACA exchanges
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote a letter to UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley asking the insurer to reconsider departing from the Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges, according to the Hartford Courant.
4. Saint Francis HealthCare Partners, UnitedHealthcare team up for accountable care: 3 things to know
Hartford, Conn.-based Saint Francis HealthCare Partners, a joint venture between a network of primary care and specialty physicians and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, and UnitedHealthcare are collaborating through a new accountable care relationship.
5. Collaborative Health Partners, Humana team up in central Virginia
Collaborative Health Partners of Virginia, a clinically integrated physician network based in Lynchburg, Va., and Louisville, Ky.-based insurer Humana joined forces on a value-based care agreement to offer 4,000 Medicare Advantage members more coordinated and personalized healthcare.
6. PPOs fade from ACA exchanges: 6 things to know
PPO plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace declined significantly from 2015 to 2016, with 28 percent dropped and 39 percent reduced, according to a report from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
7. Delaware Valley ACO expands partnership with Humana
Philadelphia-based Delaware Valley Accountable Care Organization and Humana expanded their accountable care relationship last month after seeing favorable results in the first year of their partnership.
8. HealthSpan to dissolve medical group, close 11 facilities
Akron, Ohio-based HealthSpan will dissolve its medical group, HealthSpan Physicians, on March 31, 2016, and close its 11 health facilities in Ohio.
9. HHS partners with pharmacies for ACA enrollment events
The Department of Health and Human Services is working with pharmacies across the nation to encourage enrollment on the health insurance marketplace.
10. BCBSIL to take on 40k new Medicaid members
Chicago-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois entered into an agreement with the Chicago-based University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System to begin serving its UI Health Plus members.
11. Maine’s health insurance co-op halts sale of individual plans
Maine’s only health insurance co-op — Lewiston-based Community Health Options — stopped selling plans on its website after Dec. 15, and will stop selling plans through the marketplace after Dec. 26.
More articles on payer issues:
Health insurers in the news: Dec. 3-10
BCBS of Kansas employees donate over $200k to United Way
UnitedHealth to buy 32nd Brazilian hospital for $350M
