Payer

United Health Foundation, a foundation affiliated with UnitedHealth Group, has awarded $900,000 to the Tennessee Primary Care Association to help support Tennessee Quality Connect, a program that connects healthcare professionals and patients through community health centers using telehealth technology.

CMS has fined health insurer Aetna $1 million over errors in its pharmacy network listings, according to a Hartford Courant report.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan was able to lower healthcare costs by $50 million in 2013 through its program that rewards hospitals based on the quality of care they provide, according to a report by The Detroit News.

Mark T. Bertolini — chairman and CEO of Aetna — has predicted a number of large companies will announce wage increases for their lowest-paid workers during 2015, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Cincinnati-based UC Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield have reached a new agreement on their provider-insurer relationship, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan, the state's largest health system, and Watertown, Mass.-based Tufts Health Plan have teamed up to launch Lifespan Premier Choice, a tiered network plan.

Buffalo, N.Y.-based payer Univera Healthcare announced it will be one of the first insurers to participate in Choosing Wisely, a nationwide campaign launched in 2012 to reduce unnecessary and wasteful healthcare tests and treatments.

Nonprofit San Francisco-based Blue Shield of California, the state's third-largest health insurer, faces new pressure to lower its rates for members, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Health insurer UnitedHealth Group has agreed to combine OptumRx, its free-standing pharmacy care services business, with Catamaran Corp., a pharmacy benefit management company based in Schaumburg, Ill.

Merger and acquisition activity is expected to grow in the near term, according to Atlantic Information Service's Health Plan Week.