Community Benefit

CVS Caremark has announced plans to purchase Universal American's Medicare Part D business for approximately $1.2 billion.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has announced that it will refocus its community involvement and charity efforts in four areas: Healthy child development, education enrichment, healthy environments and family nutrition and sustainable healthcare.

Hospital designers are turning to nurses to help design better care space, according to a new report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Citing low reimbursement rates that could threaten its ability to provide medical care to all patients, Appalachian Regional Healthcare on Monday filed a lawsuit against the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and its Bureau for Medical Services for inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Two healthcare networks in North Carolina's competitive Research Triangle are waging a sometimes-heated battle for affiliations with local physician practices.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has awarded $206 million in bonus payments to 15 sates that have made significant progress in increasing the number of children enrolled in Medicaid.

Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in Georgia, Missouri, New York and Virginia have reported that they donated more than a million dollars apiece to charities in 2010.

Americans' confidence in their ability to obtain and afford healthcare continued its decline in November, according to a consumer sentiment index by Thomson Reuters.

The Geisinger Health System and Highmark have reached agreement on a new four-year contract, effective Jan. 1, 2011. The current agreement had been set to expire on Dec. 31, 2010.

Walgreens has agreed to donate $10 million in vouchers for free flu shots to 350,000 eligible uninsured and underserved people in 15 markets across the country.