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Currently, health insurers' Medicare physician directories that inaccurately include non-Medicare providers are merely an inconvenience for consumers. However, beginning in 2016, insurers can incur costly fines for such mistakes, according to The Wall Street Journal.

As of Jan. 1, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts will begin offering its 2.8 million members some of the most comprehensive benefits for end-of-life care in the U.S., according to The Boston Globe.

Effective Feb. 1, Morehead, N.C.-based Carteret Health Care will be an out-of-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina members, according to The Jacksonville Daily News.

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As the Dec. 31 negotiation deadline approaches in the contract dispute between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Tuscon, Ariz.-based Carondelet Health Network, county officials advocated for a quick resolution at a board meeting Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Association of Health Plans and the Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative are launching a new program to ensure individuals seeking substance-abuse services get the level of care they need, according to Boston.com.

As of Jan. 1, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin and St. Louis-based SSM Health will partner with four hospitals to Anthem's Blue Preferred and Blue Access insurance networks, according to the Journal Sentinel.

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