Chris Anderson
Highmark's efforts to acquire struggling hospital operator West Penn Allegheny Health System has brought into sharp focus the acrimonious relationship between the insurer and the region's dominant hospital operator, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Most accountable care organizations, spurred by the Medicare Shared Savings Program, are taking four different approaches to creating new payment models, according to a new report sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund.
The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) released their latest annual salary survey that showed practice management salaries in 2010 changed little from 2009.
The cost growth of medical care for people in employer-sponsored health plans slowed to an annualized rate of 3.8 percent in the first three months of the year, compared to cost growth of 6.3 percent in the first quarter of 2010, according to the recently released Thomson Reuters Healthcare Spending Index for Private Insurance.
The latest plan to surface in the Congressional debate to raise the debt ceiling is the proposal from the recently resuscitated "Gang of Six" senators that aims to reduce the deficit by $3.7 trillion and includes significant cuts in healthcare programs.
Detailing a laundry list of potential benefits to its health plan clients, their members and company shareholders, Express Scripts announced today a definitive merger agreement with competing pharmacy benefits management company Medco - a deal valued at $29.1 billion.
Nearly 70 percent of 341 primary care and multispecialty practices nationwide surveyed by the Medical Group Management Association are already transforming their practices or are interested in becoming a patient-centered medical home.
Highmark, Pennsylvania's largest health insurer, filed a lawsuit last week against hospital and provider network UPMC alleging it has violated federal false advertising laws in its "Keep Your Doctor" advertising campaign.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced yesterday proposed standards for the creation of Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs), new private consumer governed health insurance plans. CMS also announced rules for how CO-OPs can qualify for $3.8 billion in government loans to help start up these insurance plans.
Making good on its stated intention to diversify its product mix and revenue streams, Aetna announced today it will acquire account-based health plan administrator PayFlex Holdings for $202 million.