The following payers made headlines this past week, beginning with the most recent.
1. Gillette Children's, BCBS of Minnesota extend contract 3 years
St. Paul, Minn.-based Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare and Eagan-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota struck a three-year contract extension.
2. Anthem to exit Nevada's ACA exchange in most counties
Indianapolis-based Anthem is continuing its ACA exchange withdrawal and leaving the market in all but three Nevada counties in 2018.
3. Cleveland Clinic, CareSource may end contract
Cleveland Clinic said CareSource, a Dayton, Ohio-based Medicaid managed care plan, may end its in-network relationship with the clinic.
4. Humana creates chief risk officer position
Louisville, Ky.-based Humana appointed Sam Deshpande senior vice president and chief risk officer, a newly created position.
5. California Medicaid plan introduces new email policy after court ruling
After the California Supreme Court ruled that private emails dealing with public business are not shielded from the state's public records law, leaders of the state's Gold Coast Health Plan introduced a new email policy forbidding employee use of private emails, text messages, Facebook and Twitter to conduct public business.
6. Nebraska managed care company faces sanctions for 'serious deficiencies'
Nebraska Total Care, a managed care organization, is facing sanctions from the state's Medicaid office unless it can fix problems, including failure to promptly pay providers.
7. UnitedHealthcare to invest $18.3M in Michigan affordable housing complexes
Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare will invest $18.3 million in two affordable housing complexes in Oak Park and Hart, Mich.
8. BCBS of Nebraska ups stake in primary care clinic operator
Omaha-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska now owns Think Nebraska, an Omaha-based holding company behind a primary care clinic designed to keep patients from using expensive emergency departments and hospital beds.
9. Medtronic, Aetna ink risk-sharing agreement
Dublin-based Medtronic, a medical technology provider, signed an outcomes-based agreement with Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna.
10. Boston insurance co-op to shutter, transition to for-profit entity
Boston-based Minuteman Health, one of the last remaining nonprofit co-op health plans created under the ACA, will close Jan. 1, and plans to reopen as a for-profit business the same day.
11. Andrew McCulloch, president of Kaiser Permanente Northwest, to retire
After a decade of serving as president of Kaiser Permanente Hospitals and Health Plan of the Northwest, Andrew McCulloch is retiring next month.
12. Florida Blue, Primary Partners launch shared savings program
Clermont, Fla.-based Primary Partners, a network of central Florida primary care and specialty physicians, and Jacksonville-based Florida Blue will implement an accountable provider program targeted at improving care coordination.
13. Why Geisinger's health plan stays on the ACA exchange
Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health Plan has maintained a steady presence in Pennsylvania's individual ACA exchange, despite other insurers leaving the state's marketplace.