Payer

Providence-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island plans to lay off 80 employees, according to the Associated Press.

UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest health insurers, significantly lowered its profit estimates for 2015 on Thursday morning. The health insurer blamed an expected loss on selling individual policies under the Affordable Care Act for the lower profit estimate…

In its 2015 earnings update, UnitedHealth Group revealed significant financial losses that will cause the company to re-evaluate its participation in the Affordable Care Act.

The following insurers made headlines this week. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent.

Seven of the leading health insurers in the U.S. saw their membership grow 3 percent in the second quarter of fiscal year 2015, compared to the same period of last year.

Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare is creating 200 new jobs at its New Mexico offices, according to Albuquerque Business First.

West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health and Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners plan to create a new insurance company that offers a new integrated option to consumers.

California regulators and consumer groups have accused Blue Shield of California of going back on its word to give $140 million to charitable organizations, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The closure of insurance co-op Health Republic of New York has hospitals and physicians concerned about the millions of dollars they're owed, according to Syracuse.com.

Although Kentucky Governor-elect Matt Bevin (R) wants to change the state's Medicaid expansion policy, outgoing Governor Steve Beshear (D) is defending the program, according to The Hill.