Susan Morse

Week two of open enrollment saw another 500,000-plus consumers select plans in the federal marketplace, bringing the total for the first two weeks to over 1 million, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

An estimated 59 percent of Humana's individual Medicare Advantage members have access to primary care physicians in value-based relationships.

The State of Michigan on Tuesday denied a request by Henry Ford Health System's health plan to allow it to keep two regions, including Detroit, to its approved contract for the state's Medicaid program.

Stock awards continue to make the bulk of the compensation package, making up close to half of all board compensation packages in 2014, the study said.

The new organization would be comprised of eight hospitals, a network of ambulatory sites, two established accountable care organizations, more than 1,700 aligned physicians and providers and a continuation of the academic relationship with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

The news comes as more health plans move from broad networks and straightforward reimbursement approaches to narrow networks and value-based payments.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Monday announced a $32 million initiative to drive down the number of uninsured children by supporting outreach to get families with children eligible for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program enrolled.

Under the model, hospitals in 67 geographic areas will receive additional payments if quality and spending performance are strong, or if not, have to potentially repay Medicare for a portion of the spending for care for a lower extremity joint replacement procedure.

Averting a strike planned for Monday, Kaiser Permanente and the National Union of Healthcare Workers on Sunday reached a tentative agreement for a 6 percent wage increase during the first year of a three-year contract for mental health employees working in Northern California.

The goal is to increase the approximately 59 percent of Humana individual Medicare Advantage members who have primary care physicians participating in value-based relationships, to 75 percent by the end of 2017.