Reimbursement

As the second largest health insurer formerly known as WellPoint nurtures the new corporate Anthem brand, it's also continuing to grow its presence in the government-funded health plan space.

Deep inside the massive 2015 federal budget are provisions that could rattle the insurance industry as a whole, while also benefiting a few.

Despite failing to win rate rejection authority from voters in November, one insurance commissioner is trying to protect the market by other means, calling out carriers for what are deemed to be "unreasonable" rate increases.

To move beyond the marketing buzz of "population health" and, in some places, to avoid being usurped by provider-sponsored plans, insurers need to see provider contracting more as a partnership for a community's healthcare and wellness.

Another health insurer is investing in a digital differentiator, offering members access to telehealth and choices in using it.

The state that was supposed to pioneer single payer healthcare for the nation is dropping the idea. Gov. Peter Shumlin said the comprehensive tax scheme needed to raise more than $2 billion annually would be too disruptive.

In its toughest crackdown yet on medical errors, the federal government is cutting payments to 721 hospitals for having high rates of infections and other patient injuries.

One Blue insurer will find out just how much employer appetite there is for health plans with limited but transparent networks branded as both accountable and affordable.

The land of the Green Mountains, dairy farms and maple syrup is no longer pursuing the progressive dream of a single payer healthcare system, although it may still be on the vanguard trying to regulate affordability and access.

Despite the marketing buzz carried by terms like "population health" and "integration," experts say this kind of regionalization works best with partnerships between providers and commercial payers.