The following insurers made headlines this week. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent.
1. University Hospital, BCBS of NJ to collaborate on value-based care
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and University Hospital in Newark, N.J., are entering into a strategic partnership designed to accelerate the integration of Horizon's value-based care models into UniversityHospital's operations.
2. Highmark commences Cancer Collaborative in Pa.
Pittsburgh-based Highmark launched its Highmark Cancer Collaborative in the state of Pennsylvania.
3. Wisconsin lawmakers: There should be no job losses with Aetna-Humana merger
Wisconsin Rep. Eric Genrich (D) and Sen. Dave Hansen (D) are attempting to take new measures to ensure the merger between Humana and Aetna doesn't result in any job losses in their state.
4. AMA to Calif. Department of Insurance: Oppose the Anthem-Cigna merger
The American Medical Association warned the California Department of Insurance that Anthem acquiring Cigna would be harmful to California's healthcare marketplace.
5. BCBS: Individual market patients post-ACA are sicker, more expensive
Newly insured individuals under the Affordable Care Act have higher rates of disease and received significantly more medical care, on average, than those who enrolled in coverage prior to 2014, when major provisions of the health law took effect, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association said in a new study of its policyholders.
6. Northwell, EmblemHealth sign collaborative care agreement
Building on their two decade relationship, Great Neck, N.Y.-based Northwell Health and New York City-based EmblemHealth partnered in a risk-sharing agreement.
7. Wake Forest Baptist, UnitedHealthcare team up on accountable care
Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, with the help of its clinically integrated network and UnitedHealthcare, launched an accountable care organization.
8. Meritain, Banner to roll out accountable care in Phoenix
Phoenix-based Banner Health Network and Meritain Health, an Aetna subsidiary, are collaborating to offer patients in the Phoenix area highly coordinated care through an accountable care organization.
9. BCBS of ND increases capital surplus by 321.9% since 2014
Although Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota was struggling in 2013, it has since recuperated and seen drastic increases in capital and surplus.
10. BCBS of Rhode Island rolls out patient analytics platform
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island rolled out a new service called Blue Insights for Rhode Island, a data and analytics platform designed to promote actionable insights into patients' preventive, chronic and complex health needs.
11. AHIP launches initiative for data accuracy, care access
America's Health Insurance Plans — the health insurance industry's largest trade group — created a six-month initiative to improve provider data accuracy and give consumers easier access to care.
12. Connecticut groups hope for more transparency in Anthem-Cigna merger
Three Connecticut groups — the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, the Connecticut State Medical Society and the Connecticut Citizen Action Group — asked Insurance Commissioner Katharine Wade to be less ambiguous in her review of the Anthem-Cigna merger.
13. NY nonprofit insurer Fidelis Care looks to expand
Since 2013, New York City-based Fidelis Care, a nonprofit health insurer, has doubled its employee workforce and quadrupled the size of its office in Albany. But that's only the beginning — Fidelis Care wants to increase its reach even more.