The following insurers made headlines this week. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent.
1. New CMS model aims to improve medication use among Part D Medicare beneficiaries
The CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation announced a new model to test strategies that aim to improve medication use among Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D.
2. Karen Ignagni's new gig: 6 things to know about her role at EmblemHealth
Karen Ignagni started a new role Sept. 1 as president and CEO of New York City-based EmblemHealth, the parent company of Group Health Incorporated and the Health Plan of New York. She recently discussed her new gig with Crain's New York Business.
3. DOJ lawyer: You don't need a PhD to recognize the importance of insurer competition
The flood of health insurance mega-mergers announced this year has various implications. David Balto, an antitrust lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice, recently wrote a blog post in The Hill about how these mergers could affect consumers.
4. How UnitedHealthcare could benefit from the Highmark-UPMC battle
Pennsylvania seniors caught in the middle of the feud between UPMC and Highmark will have another Medicare Advantage option this fall when UnitedHealthcare makes its Medicare Advantage plans widely available in western Pennsylvania, according to a TribLive report.
5. Religious leader claims Horizon BCBS "schemed" to exclude most Catholic hospitals from new plan
New Jersey's dominant insurance company "schemed in secret" to intentionally exclude Catholic hospitals from a new plan, said Sister Patricia Codey, president of the state's Catholic HealthCare Partnership, according to a NJ.com report.
6. 2 Georgia health systems to discontinue Medicare Advantage plan
Marietta, Ga.-based WellStar Health System and Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare are discontinuing their joint Medicare Advantage plan, according to the Associated Press.
7. Anthem merger filing reveals new details about Cigna deal
Anthem, in its application to the Connecticut Insurance Department to acquire rival health insurer Cigna, said it has no plans to cut Cigna workers if the proposed deal goes through, according to a Hartford Courant report.
8. Federal, state regulators shut down New York's health insurance co-op
New York and federal regulators ordered Health Republic Insurance of New York, a nonprofit insurance cooperative, to stop selling policies and to begin winding down business, according to a Bloomberg report.
9. Health insurer mega-mergers may go through, but only in certain markets
Mark Rust, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg, is an expert in transactional and regulatory issues surrounding healthcare. Mr. Rust has his own predictions regarding insurance mega-mergers and their implications on the broader healthcare market.
10. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association launches new data initiative
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association announced 36 independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are committed to contributing data on healthcare quality and costs to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Axis.