Payer

In 2016, there was little difference between average claims cost among individual, small and large group plans. However, individual market premiums remain lower than premiums in the small and large group markets, according to a Leavitt Partners analysis.

Auto-enrollment for individuals purchasing plans on the public health insurance exchanges will take place after open enrollment ends Dec. 15, according to The Washington Post.

Doug Ommen, Iowa's insurance commissioner, sent a letter to HHS and the Treasury department Monday announcing the state would withdraw its section 1332 waiver request, according to The Des Moines Register.

One health insurer held at least half of the market share in 169 of 389 metropolitan areas, according to an American Medical Association study.

Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group will hire 500 employees in Kansas, according to a KCUR 89.3 report.

CMS greenlighted Oregon's section 1332 innovation waiver Oct. 19 aimed at shoring up its individual insurance market.

The Internal Revenue Service will not accept electronically-filed 2018 tax returns lacking information regarding the ACA's health coverage requirements.

The health insurance industry's largest trade group, America's Health Insurance Plans, unveiled its Safe, Transparent Opioid Prescribing initiative.

The percentage of Americans lacking health insurance grew to 12.3 percent in the third quarter of this year, up from 11.7 percent in the previous quarter, according to a Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index poll.

The majority of insurers already finalized plans they will sell during this year's six-week open enrollment period on HealthCare.gov and state-based marketplaces. However, payers fret confusion among the approximately 11 million Americans expected to shop the exchanges beginning Nov. 1…