Payer

Some Los Angeles County residents are alleging they were incorrectly dropped from California's Medicaid program and as a result have faced challenges with regaining health coverage and seeking care from physicians, Los Angeles Times reports.

A U.S. Department of Justice witness argued Tuesday Connecticut is among the areas that would see a lack of competition in the health insurance market should Anthem's proposed $54 billion acquisition of Cigna succeed, Hartford Courant reports.

Cigna Global Health Benefits Europe appointed John Kaye as managing director of its Europe global health benefits business.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a campaign with the goal of enrolling 50,000 residents in health plans through the federal exchange by the end of 2017.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska will start requiring first day precertification for nonemergency inpatient and observation admissions to hospitals and other healthcare facilities, Omaha World-Herald reports.

Marietta, Ga.-based WellStar Health System and Atlanta-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia will collaborate on a federal insurance exchange product, The Marietta Daily Journal reports. 

Texas officials delivered a final legal notice to Planned Parenthood Tuesday, informing the organization it will no longer receive funding from the state's Medicaid program, according to The Hill.

CMS is aiming to curb third-party payments of individual market premiums for patients with end-stage renal disease by issuing an interim final rule requiring Medicare-certified dialysis facilities to inform their patients about choosing private health plans over Medicare.

With repeal and replacement of the ACA promised by President-elect Donald Trump, other aspects of the law beyond the health insurance marketplaces and Medicaid expansion could be eliminated, affecting individuals with employer-based insurance.

The Center for Counseling and Psychological Services of the Washington County Mental Health Services recognized Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont for its collaboration with and support of the center's mental health services, the insurer said in a statement…