On Jan. 15, CMS issued 2022 Medicare Advantage and Part D rates three months early in a move it says will give plans more time to calculate bids for the next coverage year. 

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield agreed to pay the Office for Civil Rights $5.1 million to settle potential HIPAA violations related to a data breach, HHS said Jan. 15. 

CMS released a final rule for states, health insurance exchanges and insurers in the individual and small group markets Jan. 14.

CMS released a final rule Jan. 15 that aims to lower cost-sharing for pricey prescription drugs for Medicare Advantage and Part D enrollees.

Here are three recent contract agreements or conflicts between payers, providers and employers:

The following payer executives changed their positions in January so far.

Cigna will be awarded $5.8 million in a wrongful medical billing case involving two firms and their manager, according to court documents. 

As of Dec. 23, 2020, the Trump administration has granted approval to 12 states looking to implement some form of Medicaid work requirements, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, with four of those approvals being set aside by courts.

Many Americans cut back on their insurance policies in 2020 to save money, with health coverage being the most common policy that consumers decided to scale back or drop altogether, according to a survey from ValuePenguin. 

Cigna said it will end political donations to lawmakers who "encouraged or supported violence" after rioters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol Jan. 6, according to CNBC.

Congress passed a bill that would end an antitrust exemption for health insurers, and the legislation is expected to be signed by President Donald Trump, according to The National Law Review. 

UnitedHealthcare suspended some prior authorization requirements for in-network hospitals and in-network skilled nursing facilities, according to the insurer's webpage on its prior authorization updates during the pandemic.

CHI St. Luke's Health and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas inked a new contract that will keep the Houston-based health system an in-network provider for 65,000 BCBS of Texas patients.

Northwell Direct, a unit of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health that focuses on direct contracting with employers, signed an agreement with Whole Foods to provide primary care services to workers in the New York region.

Chicago-based CommonSpirit and Blue Shield of California expanded a new billing program to 20 Dignity Health hospitals, the organizations said Jan. 11.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, which represents 36 Blue plans, said it is suspending its political contributions to lawmakers who voted against accepting the results of the Electoral College and certifying Joe Biden as the next U.S. president.

CMS approved Tennessee's request to use a modified block grant to finance its Medicaid program, the agency said Jan. 8.

UnitedHealth Group's planned merger of OptumInsight and Change Healthcare won't affect the insurer's strong rating from Fitch Ratings, the credit agency said Jan. 8. 

Health insurance startup Bright Health is picking up another California Medicare Advantage plan, according to a Jan. 6 news release.

Illinois is the first state where low-income, undocumented seniors can access public health insurance, according to Kaiser Health News.