Google parent company Alphabet is planning to invest $375 million in Oscar Health, according to Wired.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/14/18

Three Southern California health systems — San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare, Mountain Valley-based MemorialCare and Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health and Services' Los Angeles County facilities — introduced a regional health plan with Aetna Aug. 13.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/14/18

Activist investor Carl Icahn will stop soliciting votes from Cigna shareholders against the insurer's $54 billion takeover of Express Scripts, the billionaire investor said in an Aug. 13 statement.  By Alia Paavola - 8/14/18

Star Ratings are critical to Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans. Achieving a 4-star rating or better ensures a five percent bonus payment; and plans with higher Star Ratings often enroll a higher percentage of members. Plus, a higher rating strengthens a health plan’s performance resulting in higher rebates which can in turn, be funneled to provide more value-added benefits for members. In such a densely saturated market, any differentiation that a health plan can use to attract more members can be extremely meaningful. By Ellen Harrison, Vice President for HMS - 8/13/18

Cigna got another supporter of its $52 billion bid for Express Scripts after activist investor Carl Icahn called on shareholders to vote against the deal Aug. 7, according to Reuters.    By Morgan Haefner - 8/13/18

Two chiropractors in South Carolina are scheduled for trial Aug. 13 on federal charges of overbilling BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina $399,000 in fraudulent claims, according to Myrtle Beach Online.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/13/18

Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health and WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh, N.C., are in talks with Centene to offer a health plan on the ACA marketplace that will network with the two health systems, according to WRAL.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/13/18

Bronx, N.Y.-based Montefiore Health System urged patients to contact Aetna about an ongoing contract dispute that may result in the system leaving the health insurer's network by Sept. 8, according to The Journal News/lohud.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/13/18

Becker's Hospital Review reported these eight contract resolutions and dissolutions between payers and providers since July 20, beginning with the most recent.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/10/18

Humana sold the stock of its commercial long-term care insurance business, KMG American Corp., Aug. 9.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/10/18

CMS will use the statewide average premium for the 2018 benefit year in its risk adjustment payment calculations, allowing the program to continue for the 2018 benefit year, federal officials proposed Aug. 8.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/9/18

The Trump administration's final rule for short-term health plans, released Aug. 1, already is facing resistance from state governments and state insurance regulators, according to The New York Times.  By Kelly Gooch - 8/9/18

Neighborhood Health Plan, acquired six years ago by Boston-based Partners HealthCare, will change its name to AllWays Health Partners next year — a rebranding aimed at positioning the insurer as one of the top health plan providers in the state, according to The Boston Globe.  By Alia Paavola - 8/9/18

UnitedHealth Group will acquire four clinics through its purchase of Peoples Health, a Metairie, La.-based Medicare Advantage plan, according to the Star Tribune.    By Morgan Haefner - 8/8/18

While it may be a few years before the healthcare industry can study the effects of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase's joint healthcare venture on the industry, Bloomberg columnist Max Nisen claims key industry players should be more concerned by corporations potentially forgoing insurers to contract directly with providers.  By Alyssa Rege - 8/8/18

The American Medical Association called on the Department of Justice Aug. 8 to sue to block CVS Health's proposed $69 billion acquisition of Aetna.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/8/18

Molina Healthcare saw its finances turn around in the three months ended June 30, after the health insurer recorded a $230 million net loss in the second quarter of fiscal year 2017.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/8/18

Cigna's board of directors called out activist investor Carl Icahn for publicly opposing the company's proposed $54 billion takeover of Express Scripts, urging shareholders to support the deal in an Aug. 7 letter.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/8/18

In its attempt to purchase health insurer Aetna for $69 billion, CVS Health has effectively dodged one antitrust hurdle because regulators don't see competitive problems from joining two companies that operate at different levels of the supply chain, according to Bloomberg.  By Alia Paavola - 8/8/18

Bronx, N.Y.-based Montefiore Health System may no longer be a part of Aetna's provider network if the organizations can't resolve a contract dispute before a Sept. 8 deadline, according to The Journal News/lohud.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/8/18