Reimbursement

With just two weeks left in 2015's open enrollment period, close to 395 thousand consumers either signed up for or renewed health insurance coverage during week four November 22-28, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Forty-five percent of the silver-level PPO plans coming to the market for the first time in 2016 provide no annual cap for policyholders' out-of-network costs, an analysis by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds.

The letter is an effort to continue limiting the amount of assistance insurers can obtain from the government to lessen losses they sustain under the Affordable Care Act.

Women in Medicaid expansion states are far more likely to get screened for breast cancer, according to a new study by the Radiological Society of North America, which released the results at its annual meeting on Monday.

From 2010 to 2014, there's been 2.1 million fewer hospital-acquired conditions; 87,000 fewer hospital-acquired condition related deaths; and $19.8 billion in costs have been averted, according to CMS Deputy Director Patrick Conway.

While the average premium for the least expensive closed network silver plan -- principally HMOs -- rose from $274 to $299, a 9 percent increase, the average premium for the least expensive PPO or other silver-level open access plan grew from $291 to $339, an 17 percent jump.

The state's only health insurance co-op will shut down operations on December 31, after failing to find additional financing, Meritus officials announced November 25.

The state's only health insurance co-op will shut down operations on December 31, after failing to find additional financing, Meritus officials announced November 25.

While the average premium for the least expensive closed network silver plan--principally HMOs--rose from $274 to $299, a 9 percent increase, the average premium for the least expensive PPO or other silver-level open access plan grew from $291 to $339, an 17 percent jump.

Many co-op plans were priced low, and customers poured in. But these new customers had high health costs, so the co-ops had to start paying a lot of bills. The math didn't add up