Payer

CMS issued proposed regulations Wednesday to stabilize the individual and small group health insurance markets.

Indianapolis-based Anthem filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna in an attempt to block Cigna from terminating their proposed $54 billion merger agreement.

Brazil's richest healthcare billionaire and UnitedHealth Group's largest individual shareholder worth $3.1 billion died Tuesday at the age of 73, according to a Reuters report. 

Louisville, Ky.-based Humana plans to no longer provide individual products through ACA exchanges effective Jan. 1, 2018. The insurer cited an unbalanced risk pool as the reason for its departure.

Durham, N.C.-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina President and CEO Brad Wilson will retire later this year.

Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna terminated its merger agreement with Indianapolis-based Anthem and filed a lawsuit against the insurer for roughly $14.85 billion.

Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna will cover genetic screening and noninvasive prenatal testing from NxGen MDx, based in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman approved the sale of Grand Junction, Colo.-based Rocky Mountain Health Plans to Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare for about $36 million, The Denver Post reports.

Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna and Louisville, Ky.-based Humana mutually terminated their $37 billion merger agreement following a U.S. District Court's decision to block the proposed deal over antitrust concerns.

Urgent care owners, operators, physicians and staff, take note: payers across the country are increasingly requiring certification or accreditation before contracting or as a requirement to remain in-network.