Payer

The approximately 9,000 Iowans who purchased UnitedHealth policies on the Affordable Care Act exchanges are out of luck for next year, as the Minnetonka, Minn.-based insurer will not sell policies in the state for 2017, according to The Des Moines…

There's no question about it: Insurers have been losing money on the Affordable Care Act exchanges. What will they do to overcome their losses? Some predict they'll increase their premium prices once again, according to The Hill.

Hospital Corporation of America has renewed a long-term contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas that will keep all of the Nashville, Tenn.-based hospital chain's Texas medical facilities in network, according to a Dallas Morning News report.

In a recent letter to the Department of Justice, the American Hospital Association said the proposed Anthem-Cigna merger will reduce competition in the Administrative Services Only — or self-insured — market.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Butler (Pa.) Health System have finalized a multiyear contract, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Dover, Del.-based Bayhealth Medical Center will soon be an out-of-network provider for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware members unless the two sides resolve rate disputes, according to The News Journal.

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

Express Scripts, the nation's largest prescription drug benefits manager, has countersued health insurer Anthem and denied allegations that it overcharged Anthem for prescription medications, according to The Wall Street Journal.

As part of a joint agreement, Long Beach, Calif.-based Molina Healthcare has acquired White Plains, N.Y.-based Universal American's Total Care Medicaid plan in upstate New York.

The majority of Americans lack confidence their healthcare insurance costs will decrease regardless of who becomes president later this year, according to a recent survey by Agile Health Insurance.