1. BCBS of Alabama adjusts hospital rankings, moving 18 to lower tier
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, the state’s largest insurer, changed the rankings of 18 hospitals within its hospital tiered network.
2. Calif. insurance commissioner approves Centene’s acquisition of Health Net
After a public hearing and much consideration, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones approved St. Louis-based Centene’s acquisition of Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Health Net — with a few conditions.
3. Cigna’s CEO isn’t the insurer’s highest-paid employee
Although Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna CEO David Cordani’s total compensation in 2015 increased 80 percent to $49 million, he was not the insurer’s highest-paid employee.
4. Express Scripts President: ‘We don’t intend to lose Anthem’
Although health insurer Anthem is suing Express Scripts for approximately $15 billion in hopes of gaining more savings on prescription drug medications, Express Scripts is not giving up.
5. Aetna CEO expects post-merger ‘storming’ and ‘noise’ as cultures integrate
While the merger between Hartford, Conn.-based based Aetna and Louisville, Ky.-based Humana has not been officially approved, leaders from both insurers are working to ensure their cultures align.
6. BCBS of NC has 4 ideas for improving the ACA
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, which has been in hot water this year due to problems with a new system, shared four thoughts on how to improve the Affordable Care Act.
7. Covered California seeks to cut underperforming hospitals from network
In an effort to improve patient care quality and decrease coverage costs, Covered California — California’s Affordable Care Act insurance marketplace — is considering removing low-performing or high cost hospitals from its network.
8. Antitrust committee will scrutinize mergers ‘very, very carefully’
During a two-hour hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, antitrust regulators vowed to closely analyze healthcare’s two biggest mergers: the one between Aetna and Humana and the one between Anthem and Cigna.
9. Former BCBS of Florida employee defrauds insurer of $40k
An ex-Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida business analyst was arrested after submitting hundreds of false medical service claims.
More articles on payer issues:
Half of uninsured parents unaware children could qualify for coverage: 5 stats to know
Health insurers in the news: March 10-17
Highmark unveils new way to pay for cancer patients’ treatment: 6 things to know
