The following payers made headlines this week, beginning with the most recent.
1. BCBS of Oklahoma's contract with Sequoyah Memorial Hospital expires
The contract between Tulsa-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma and Sallisaw, Okla.-based Sequoya Memorial Hospital expired Aug. 1.
2. NY insurer sues feds over $38.7M in risk corridors payments
HealthNow New York, a Buffalo-based insurer and umbrella company of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York in Buffalo, sued the federal government claiming it is owed more than $38.7 million under the ACA's risk corridors program.
3. BCBS of North Carolina to drop grandfathered health plans; 50k affected
Durham-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will discontinue its grandfathered health plans Jan. 1.
4. Anthem expands discretionary ED coverage policy to Indiana
Indianapolis-based Anthem will stop covering emergency department visits it deems unnecessary for Indiana policyholders, extending the discretionary policy recently enacted in Georgia and Missouri.
5. 'Project X': Boston's $16M effort to attract Aetna
Before Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna decided to move its headquarters to New York City, the payer mulled incentives offered by one other city — Boston.
6. How Anthem's exit in 16 of 19 pricing regions will affect California's individual ACA market
Indianapolis-based Anthem plans to withdraw 16 of 19 pricing regions of California's ACA exchange, leaving about 60,000 Covered California customers with one insurer choice for 2018.
7. Innovation Health CEO Dave Notari steps down: 5 notes
Innovation Health CEO Dave Notari is leaving the role "to pursue other opportunities," effective immediately. Aetna and Falls Church, Va.-based Inova Health jointly own Innovation Health.
8. Mission Health calls BCBS' removal of providers from online directory 'overt and senseless action'
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina in Durham removed Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health System providers from its online directory ahead of a looming Oct. 5 contract deadline.