The following payers made headlines this week, beginning with the most recent.
1. Contracts between BCBS, 3 Oklahoma community hospitals expire
Tulsa-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma's contracts with three Kansas City, Mo.-based Rural Community Hospitals of America subsidiaries expired July 1 following failed negotiations.
2. Humana, Oscar Health to pilot small business health plan
New York City-based Oscar Health and Louisville, Ky.-based Humana will offer small employer health plans in Nashville, Tenn., through a strategic partnership.
3. Cigna acquires Zurich Insurance Middle East
Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna acquired Dubai-based general insurance company Zurich Insurance Middle East in June.
4. UnitedHealth's OptumRx wins $2B New Jersey drug contract
OptumRx, the pharmacy benefit management subsidiary of Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group, won a bid to manage New Jersey's roughly $2 billion drug benefit program for state employees.
5. BCBS of Louisiana launches price comparison tool
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana launched a tool that allows customers to compare costs of medical procedures in more than 300 categories.
6. Lawsuit accuses Blue Shield of California of wrongly denying mental health, rehab claims
Two plaintiffs are accusing Blue Shield of California of improperly denying mental health and drug treatment claims for their children's care.
7. Court allows Horizon BCBS to keep details of $15.5M contract violation penalty confidential
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey received a court order allowing the insurer to keep the details of a $15.5 million contract violation penalty confidential.
8. Anthem extends its discretionary coverage for ER visits to Missouri
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri will no longer cover emergency department services it considers unnecessary.
9. Children's Minnesota back in network with BCBS
Minneapolis-based Children's Minnesota and Eagan-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota reached a deal Friday, saving 66,000 patients from paying out-of-network rates.
10. Aetna threatens to terminate Medicaid contracts if Illinois funding 'crisis' persists
Aetna Better Health, the managed care subsidiary of Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna, filed a notice of intent to terminate its four Medicaid contracts with Illinois due to $698 million in outstanding payments.
11. Bloomberg: UnitedHealth to acquire Advisory Board's healthcare arm
Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group plans to acquire The Advisory Board's healthcare division, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.