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Mass. reform increased insured, didn't cut costs

January 27, 2012 — 12:06pm ET | By
Health reform in Massachusetts has increased the number of people with health insurance coverage significantly, but it hasn't helped stem rising healthcare costs. Because the Massachusetts reform Read more >>

Insurer fined $100,000 for using unapproved rates

January 27, 2012 — 11:55am ET | By
Washington insurance officials have issued a $100,000 fine to Unicare Life and Health Insurance for selling policies with unapproved rates. The Indiana-based insurer allegedly charged unapproved Read more >>

Senior care causes WellPoint profits to drop 39%

January 27, 2012 — 11:51am ET | By
WellPoint's fourth quarter profits fell 39 percent to $335.3 million, down from $548.8 million a year earlier. Unexpectedly high Medicare claims took a toll on the insurer. Although most insurers Read more >>

Humana could spend $1B for Medicare deals

January 27, 2012 — 11:33am ET | By
Humana is willing to spend $1 billion on acquisitions or mergers, allowing it to expand into Medicare, reported Bloomberg. "We could do $1 billion-plus deals if we wanted to," Humana CEO Michael Read more >>

Insurers serious about mobile apps

January 25, 2012 — 11:24am ET | By
Big insurers are serious about becoming a major part of the mobile health movement as they increasingly introduce mobile apps to help members stay healthy, diagnose illnesses and better communicate Read more >>

Single-payer bill advances in state legislature

January 24, 2012 — 10:05pm ET | By
Legislation that would create a single-payer healthcare system in California passed a key hurdle last week and moved to the Senate floor. Voting along party lines, the California Senate Read more >>

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Also Noted

> Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and the Children's Hospital of Boston have agreed to a three-year contract that will allow for global payments, reported the Boston Globe. Under the new contract, Blue Cross won't pay Children's Hospital any more money this year and will reimburse the hospital at an unspecified rate below the current 3 percent rate of medical inflation for the remaining contracted time. Article

> Two bills introduced by Pennsylvania lawmakers would grant the state more power in expiring payer-provider contracts, reported Insurance and Financial Advisor. Under H.B. 2052, the state insurance department could help resolve any disputes, including requiring the payer and provider to submit to binding arbitration. S.B. 1358 would allow the insurance department to suspend a contract termination for up to 36 months instead of the original six months. Article

> Highmark is planning to spend $500 million to develop a new network of doctors, community hospitals and outpatient locations. The network will include medical malls, ambulatory care centers, a health information exchange and primary and specialty care centers, reported the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Article

> Device manufacturers want health insurers to cover weight loss surgery, saying it would provide access to the treatments for millions of obese Americans, thereby saving billions of dollars in unnecessary healthcare costs, reported Reuters. Allergen, the maker of LapBand, is leading the charge, most likely in an effort to fuel weak sales. Article

> And Finally... If you got a root canal from this dentist, you could have paper clips in your mouth. Article