Payer

California's Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has issued emergency regulations in response to consumer complaints regarding narrow networks, such as having difficulty obtaining appointments with physicians, according to a National Law Review report.

Hartford, Conn.-based health insurer Aetna has set its wage floor to $16 an hour for its lowest paid employees, boosting the employees' incomes by as much as 33 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Excellus Health Plan has entered into a settlement requiring its contracted healthcare providers to issue refunds for excessive co-payments to 2,973 Excellus members in the state of New York, according to an announcement by New York Attorney General Eric T.…

The administrative burden of billing and insurance-related activities is a significant one. In 2012, such activities cost the healthcare system approximately $471 billion, according to a study in BMC Health Services Research.

Louisville, Ky.-based health insurer Humana has agreed to pay a $161,800 fine for sending letters containing inaccurate information to approximately 1,600 policyholders in August 2013, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report.

BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, the state's largest health insurer, has come out with an online cost tool that essentially exposes price differences for the same procedure among North Carolina healthcare providers, according to a News Observer report.

Health insurer Aetna and Pittsburgh-based Highmark have resolved their contract dispute concerning Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Pa., and signed a two-year contract renewal, according to a TribLIVE report.

More New Jersey insurers are giving patients the ability to talk with physicians via a phone call or video conference regardless of what time it is, according to a New Jersey Spotlight report.

Although medical costs associated with influenza are seasonal, they can marginally affect health plan medical costs, according to Brian Wright, a Stern Agee analyst.

A battle between Blue Shield of California and Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health has prevented the two from entering into a new contract, according to a Los Angeles Times report.