Colorado Medicaid officials are asking for legislative approval to expand managed care into Medicaid in a much bigger way by 2010. They propose to phase in the movement to managed care through regions…
The District of Columbia is targeting CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in an effort to capture a portion of the large nonprofit's reserves for a new program serving the uninsured. The District has h…
Premium increases moderated in the Carolinas in 2008 with health plan costs per employee rising by 6 percent to 10 percent, but the increases are expected to accelerate in the coming months. Brokers a…
The war of words over the proposed merger of Highmark Inc and Independence Blue Cross reached continued with testimony from Highmark officials that they would not move into IBC's Philadelphia serv…
Maryland regulators cited and fined Coventry Health Care after finding the carrier failed to comply with state laws regarding prompt payment of claims, appeals, greivances, and more. Meanwhile, AMERIG…
More than 37 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries in South Carolina who could join a managed care plan in the state's Healthy Connections program have done so by August of 2008. Eight health plans ar…
When Congress passed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act this summer, health plans operating in the Medicare arena began to brace for the changes. Wisconsin health plans operating…
PPOs may come under more regulatory scrutiny from the Texas Department of Insurance. Proposals being floated would require PPOs operating in Texas to have a certificate of authority and allow the TDI…
The state agency that manages the Medicaid managed care program is keeping seven of its current managed care plans in its latest procurement, and it will add a subsidiary of Centene Corp. to its line-…
Two collaborative efforts involving multiple health insurers in Pennsylvania have the potential to improve the quality of healthcare in the state. The first is a transparency effort involving how care…
Maryland has become one of the first states to pass laws regulating the licensing and transparency of pharmacy benefits managers operating in the state. The bills were supported by the Pharmaceutical…
Aetna is among national insurers working to chip away at the market dominance of the Regence Group and Premera Blue Cross in Oregon and Washington. Oregon's Medicaid expansion program, called Oreg…
If being Number Two means you try harder, then that explains the expansion and new product efforts by Medica and Health Partners, the second- and third-place health plans in Minnesota respectively. Bo…