Payer

Flint-based HealthPlus in Michigan and Health Alliance Plan in Detroit have secured state and federal regulatory approval for the plans' proposed merger, reports Crain's Detroit Business.

In early July, Hartford, Conn.-based health insurer Aetna proposed to acquire Louisville, Ky.-based Humana in a $37 billion deal. Now officials are determining what the structure of Humana will look like once the acquisition is completed, according to Louisville Business…

Now that this year's open enrollment period has closed, Aetna has expressed apprehension in its future participation on the Affordable Care Act exchanges, according to The Hill.

After Aetna, the third largest health insurer in the country, released its 2015 fourth quarter financial results yesterday, the company's CEO maintained a positive outlook, according to CNBC.

Obama administration officials made one last push for the uninsured to sign up for health plans on the Affordable Care Act exchanges before the open enrollment deadline Jan. 31, according to The Hill.

After open enrollment closed Jan. 31, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina said it expects to lose over $400 million on its Affordable Care Act business for 2014 and 2015, according to The News & Observer.

Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna, the third largest health insurer in the nation, posted better-than-expected operating profit for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015, according to Bloomberg.

Newark-based Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is facing a number of legal difficulties. Its new OMNIA health plan has proven controversial, and the insurer is in the middle of a lawsuit with several hospitals regarding its advertising…

HHS' Medicare Appeals Council has ruled a Texas transgender woman's privately run Medicare plan must cover her sex reassignment surgery, according to a Reuters report.

Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna and Boston Children's Hospital have resolved their dispute over reimbursement rates, according to The Boston Globe.