Healthcare Finance Staff

Eying unfilled parts of the consumer health market, UnitedHealth Group could end up owning a digital health company that's servicing its rivals' clients, and make another Ivy League dropout a millionaire before age 30 in the process.

Some people will invariably take this as proof that ICD-10 will not be pushed back any further -- while others will suggest it serves as evidence that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cannot be taken at its word.

As more Medicaid beneficiaries gain access to behavioral health treatment, peer support programs offer a lot of benefits, but cost savings may not be one of them.

And then there were three: Pennsylvania will have one fewer Blue Cross company if Highmark's latest deal is approved by state regulators.

UnitedHealthcare has reached an agreement with a large health system affecting some 400,000 members, but more contract disputes remain unresolved as the insurer looks for savings.

Humana is settling charges that it required some small businesses to buy life insurance policies along with health coverage going back to 2006.

In today's tepid economy, recent divorcees may be reliant on their former spouses' insurance or may seek to enroll after the fact, something health plan administrators should watch out for.

Humana is working with a health IT company to roll out an electronic prior authorization model that enables physicians to simplify prescription prior authorization requests so patients can get quicker access to their medications.

The Aetna Foundation, the charitable arm of the Hartford-based insurance giant, is looking to make the cellphone the centerpiece of efforts to improve public health access with a three-year, $4 million Digital Health Initiative.

When CVS Caremark announced that it would no longer sell cigarettes, it was the latest sign of the direction retail pharmacies have been moving in over the last few years.