The following payers made headlines this past week, beginning with the most recent.
1. ConnectiCare headquarters up for sale for $18.8M
One of Farmington, Conn.-based ConnectiCare's two headquarters buildings is up for sale for $18.85 million.
2. Cigna, HealthCare Partners to offer joint health plan
Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna and HealthCare Partners in El Segundo, Calif. — a division of DaVita Medical Group — will jointly offer Los Angeles-area employers health plans beginning April 1.
3. UnitedHealthcare sells land previously designated for Optum for $1.4M
Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare sold about 3.5 acres of land in Eden Prairie, Minn., for $1.4 million.
4. Highmark BCBS, Quartet expand mental health programs
Pittsburgh-based Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and New York City-based Quartet, a mission-driven technology company that integrates mental health into primary care, expanded their services to two Pennsylvania counties — Butler and Westmoreland.
5. Aetna unveils $3.3B stock buyback
Aetna agreed to the accelerated repurchase of $3.3 billion of the company's outstanding common stock Wednesday after the Hartford, Conn.-based insurer's board authorized the repurchase of an additional $4 billion worth of the company's stock last week.
6. Court grants Anthem expedited appeal of merger block
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia expedited Indianapolis-based Anthem's appeal of a district court's order to block its proposed $54 billion merger with Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna.
7. BCBS of Minnesota to eliminate 50 jobs
Eagan-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota said it will cut 50 jobs.
8. 8 Humana executives sell $66.4M in company stock
Eight executives from Louisville, Ky.-based Humana sold a combined 323,648 shares of company stock Tuesday for $66.4 million.
9. Molina Healthcare of Michigan appoints Dr. Taft Parsons CMO
Troy-based Molina Healthcare of Michigan selected Taft Parsons III, MD, to serve as CMO.
10. UnitedHealth Group to lay off 119 Optum employees
Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group said it will lay off 119 workers at its Optum offices in Centennial, Colo.
11. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care offers physicians health analytics technology to improve outcomes
Massachusetts-based Harvard Pilgrim Health Care will provide physicians point-of-care health analytics through Quest Diagnostics and Inovalon in an effort to close care gaps and improve health outcomes for patients.
12. BCBS of Nebraska re-elects 4 board members
Omaha-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska re-elected four members to its board of directors.
13. The Health Plan to outgrow headquarters, CEO says
Wheeling, W. Va.-based The Health Plan is outgrowing its headquarters, which is still under construction.