Reimbursement

Internal controls are lacking when it come to setting an individual's eligibility for tax credits and cost sharing reductions for health plans bought through Healthcare.gov, according to a new report by the Office of the Inspector General.

Deficiencies included improper verification of Social Security numbers, citizenship, annual household income and family size.

Two major deals that would result in top commercial insurance companies merging into their competitors has roiled the leadership of the American Hospital Association.

The last and perhaps most controversial piece of health reform's universal coverage has many miles to go in terms of financial sustainability. But there are signs of progress.

With Anthem set to buy Cigna and Aetna buying Humana, AHA executives sent a letter last week to the Department of Justice's antitrust division over concerns that consolidation among those largest payers could spell disaster for competition.

Iowa's governor, Republican Terry Branstad, is moving full speed ahead with a plan to put private companies in charge of managing Medicaid's services.

Though still a major source of middle class jobs, healthcare companies, including consolidating insurers and nonprofits, may need to find a way to afford raises for their lowest-paid employees.

Aviation giant Boeing has added Roper St. Francis Health Alliance in Charleston, South Carolina and Mercy in St. Louis to its health plan, according to a Boeing spokesman, as the company continues to grow its in-house benefits network.

"Are you pregnant?" It's a topic employers have avoided since the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. But advocates fear these long-standing protections could be undermined by some workplace wellness programs.

With giant commercial health insurers announcing plans to merge, and experts predicting more consolidation, healthcare providers will be weighing their options when it comes to price negotiations.