The following insurers made headlines this week. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent.
1. HealthPlus of Michigan expects sale of Medicaid plan to complete turnaround
Flint-based HealthPlus of Michigan, an HMO under state supervision since March for financial losses, expects to complete its turnaround by Sept. 1, when it closes the sale of its Medicaid plan to Troy-based Molina Healthcare of Michigan, according to Crain's Detroit Business.
2. DOJ probe of Aetna-Humana deal extended
Aetna will re-file its premerger notification with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to give the regulatory agencies additional time to review its proposed acquisition of Humana, according to forms filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
3. Cigna, Adventist care collaboration program yields improved quality, lower costs
Early results from Cigna Collaborative Care — an ACO-like program between Cigna and Bolingbrook, Ill.-based Adventist Health Network — are promising, with improvements in inpatient hospital admissions, adolescent well care visits, emergency department visits for chronic conditions and lowering costs.
4. One year later, how is Vivity stacking up to Kaiser? Checking in with MemorialCare CEO Dr. Barry Arbuckle
Anthem Blue Cross and seven top health systems in Los Angeles and Orange County, including Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare Health System, launched an integrated health network called Vivity in September 2014. Barry Arbuckle, PhD, president and CEO of MemorialCare Health System answered some of our questions about Vivity and the health system's choice to be a part of it, as well as how the health system aims to compete with Kaiser Permanente.
5. UnitedHealthcare, Anthem among insurers picked for Iowa Medicaid contracts
The Iowa Department of Human Services awarded Medicaid managed care contracts to four companies. The contracts go into effect Jan. 1, 2016.
6. Nearly 950,000 sign up on HealthCare.gov after open enrollment
Almost 950,000 consumers chose healthcare coverage on HealthCare.gov when they became eligible following the latest open enrollment period.