Payer

The number of Medicare Advantage plans across the U.S. varies drastically, with as many as 50 plans available in some counties, according to an October data note from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Health insurance startup Oscar Health intends to cover telemedicine services for members with complex care needs, according to Politico.

Humana will enter New Jersey's Medicare Advantage market for the first time in 2019, the insurer said Oct. 19.

Pocatello, Idaho-based Portneuf Medical Center emergency room physicians are back in network with Blue Cross of Idaho, according to the Idaho State Journal.

Private health insurers now manage Medicaid programs in 38 states, according to Kaiser Health News. However, studies and government reports have failed to prove this model improves care quality or generates greater cost efficiencies.

Virginia is preparing for Medicaid expansion, state Gov. Ralph Northam announced Oct. 18.

Aetna agreed to pay $4.3 million to attorneys who represented plaintiffs of a class-action lawsuit concerning an inadvertent disclosure of their HIV status, according to Bloomberg Law.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana signed a definitive agreement Oct. 17 to acquire majority ownership of regional Vantage Health Plan for an undisclosed amount.

UnitedHealth Group is spending $69 billion on value-based payments, up from $64 billion in 2017, according to Forbes contributor Bruce Japsen.

While health insurance is intended to safeguard policyholders when severe illnesses arise, a survey of 1,495 of the sickest Americans found even those with insurance can experience financial fallout after a serious diagnosis, according to The New York Times.