1. Q3 comparison: 9 things to know about how 7 major payers stack up
Mark Farrah Associates, a healthcare data aggregator and publisher, analyzed the 2015 third quarter results of seven major U.S. health insurers — Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Health Care Service Corporation, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealth Group.
2. PreferredOne hopes Aetna agreement will bring in business
PreferredOne, a Golden Valley, Minn.-based payer, reached a network agreement with Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna this month. Now PreferredOne is hoping to draw in more business from large companies, according to the Star Tribune.
3. 2-decade Cigna lawsuit involving 27k employees nears finish
In 1998, employees and former employees of Cigna sued the Bloomfield, Conn.-based health insurer for changes to its pension plan. Now, the lawsuit is drawing to a close, according to the Hartford Courant.
4. CVS Minute Clinics in Milwaukee join Molina network
Milwaukee-based Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin added CVS Minute Clinics in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Kenosha counties to its provider network, enabling patients with Molina insurance to go to those clinics for care, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.
5. Florida insurance regulators give Aetna-Humana merger the green light
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approved Aetna’s plan to purchase Humana — but there are a few conditions, according to the Miami Herald.
6. HCA, Nevada coalition at odds over contract negotiations
Las Vegas-based Health Services Coalition is in a contract dispute with Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
7. UnitedHealthcare, Florida Accountable Care Services launch ACO
UnitedHealthcare and Orlando-based Florida Accountable Care Services are launching a joint accountable care program April 1 to improve patients’ health and satisfaction while lowering costs.
8. Horizon awards physicians $3M in bonuses for achieving value-based goals
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey paid 51 medical practices across the state roughly $3 million in shared savings for achieving quality, cost efficiency and patient satisfaction goals in its 2014 Episodes of Care program.
9. Aetna, Mount Sinai Health Partners launch ACO alliance
Aetna and New York City-based Mount Sinai Health Partners, a clinically integrated network including Mount Sinai Health System and select physicians, inked a three-year deal to enhance coordinated care and lower costs through an accountable care agreement.
10. Watchdog groups call out Ky. insurance commissioner’s approval of Aetna-Humana merger
Watchdog groups are speaking out after Kentucky Insurance Commissioner Brian Maynard approved the Aetna-Humana merger without a formal public hearing, according to Insider Louisville.
11. NC insurance department investigates BCBS
The North Carolina Department of Insurance officially vowed to investigate Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, according to WNCN.com.
More articles on payer issues:
Childhood uninsured rate dropped 16%, study finds
Health insurers in the news: Feb. 4-11
Patient First stops accepting some Anthem plans: 4 things to know
