The following payers made headlines this week. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent.
1. Health Alliance exits ACA exchange
Urbana, Ill.-based Health Alliance pulled its individual health plans from the ACA exchange this week after reaching its enrollment cap before the marketplace closes Jan. 31.
2. Anthem extends deadline for Cigna deal
Indianapolis-based Anthem extended the completion deadline of its proposed acquisition of Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna from Jan. 31 to April 30.
3. Allina Health, Aetna to create joint health plan
Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna and Allina Health in Minneapolis inked a partnership to establish a jointly owned health plan as an option for employers and consumers in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., region.
4. BCBS of Western New York, Roswell Park Cancer Institute ink agreement
Buffalo-based BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and Roswell Park Caner Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., reached a three-year agreement to continue in-network access to the institute and its affiliated physicians for the insurer's policyholders.
5. Anthem BCBS renews Indiana Medicaid contracts
Indianapolis-based Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield renewed its managed care contracts with Indiana's Medicaid programs.
6. Medica cuts 100 jobs after ditching Minnesota managed care contract
Minnetonka, Minn.-based Medica eliminated approximately 100 full-time jobs following the insurer's decision to drop a contract to manage Minnesota's public health insurance programs.
7. Samaritan Ministries International rethinks how people pay for healthcare
Peoria, Ill.-based Samaritan Ministries International, a Christian healthcare cost-sharing ministry, has more than 221,000 members partaking in cost-sharing initiatives to help individuals with healthcare expenses.
8. Vermont approves $3.5M BCBS settlement
Montpelier-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont gained $3.5 million after a months-long reconciliation process to settle billing discrepancies through the state's exchange — Vermont Health Connect.
9. UnitedHealth taps former KPMG exec for board of directors
Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group named Timothy Flynn to the company's board of directors.
10. BCBS of Louisiana CEO says quick ACA repeal will create unsustainable market
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana President Steven Udvarhelyi, MD, said immediate repeal of the ACA would spur insurer exits from the state's individual market and destabilize it.
11. Cigna CEO: ACA health plans perform best under ACO model
At the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco last week, Cigna CEO David Cordani said the payer's ACA health plans made the most financial sense when they networked with ACOs.
12. CVS says it was not its 'desire or decision' to leave BCBS of Alabama pharmacy network
CVS Pharmacy said it was not its "desire or decision" to leave a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama pharmacy network providing coverage for 390,000 policyholders.