Insurance
Health Cost Estimators Catching on, Pioneer Report Says
Private health insurers are “waking up to” benefits of price transparency, but work remains to reach the potential for cost savings from providing consumers with more information, according to a new study from the Pioneer Institute.
RE/MAX Leading Edge to Launch Insurance Agency
Winchester-based RE/MAX Leading Edge will partner with Scotti Insurance Agency to provide insurance services via a new agency, Leading Edge Insurance.
Personnel File
Arbella Insurance, Douglas Elliman Real Estate and Peabody Properties are among the organizations announcing changes to personnel in this week’s roundup.
Walgreens to Pay $5.5M for Overcharging State Workers
Walgreens Co. has agreed to pay $5.5 million after allegedly overcharging for prescription drugs covered by the state workers’ compensation insurance system.
Bill Poised for Fast Track to Avoid Health Insurance Spike for Retired Teachers
House and Senate leaders said Tuesday they will try to quickly pass a bill filed by Gov. Charlie Baker, perhaps as soon as this week, in an effort to avoid steep health insurance premium spikes for nearly 1,000 retired teachers and elderly government retirees.
Personnel File
Align Credit Union Lowell-based Align Credit Union promoted Megan Brady to branch manager of its Danvers location. She will oversee daily operations, business development and member service. Brady joined Align in 2011 as a teller and advanced to the position of member service representative before becoming branch manager. Arbella Insurance The Arbella Insurance...
DeLeo Offers Peak at House Health Care Bill
New reporting requirements for MassHealth and protections against out-of-network billing are among provisions of forthcoming House health care legislation, details Speaker Robert DeLeo sketched out for the first time Friday morning.
Community Good Works
Cornerstone Bank and Dedham Institution for Savings help out with homelessness in this week’s roundup.
Cigna to Spend About $52B for Express Scripts
The insurer Cigna will spend about $52 billion to acquire the nation’s biggest pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts, the latest in a string of proposed tie-ups as health care’s bill payers attempt to get a grip on rising costs.
Massive ACO Expansion Underway for MassHealth Patients
Thursday marked the launch of a major restructuring at MassHealth that will affect the care delivery of 1.2 million people insured by the state Medicaid program, a move intended to improve overall health while containing costs.
Personnel File
Arbella Insurance, Erland Construction and Greylock Federal Credit Union are among the organizations making personnel announcements in this week’s roundup.
AG’s Office Recovers More Than $45M for MassHealth in 2017
Attorney General Maura Healey’s Medicaid Fraud Division recovered more than $45 million for the state’s Medicaid program in 2017.
Amazon, JPMorgan, Berkshire Creating New Health Care Company
Amazon is diving into health care, teaming up with Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and the New York bank JPMorgan Chase, to create a company that helps their U.S. employees find quality care “at a reasonable cost.”
GE to Take $6.2B Charge Tied to GE Capital
General Electric is taking a $6.2 billion after-tax charge in the fourth quarter tied to its review and reserve testing of GE Capital’s runoff insurance portfolio. GE Capital will also suspend its dividend to GE for the foreseeable future.
Dental Chain That Performed Unnecessary, Invasive Work on Children Settles with State
A national dental chain has paid $1.7 million to Massachusetts to resolve allegations that it fraudulently billed the state’s Medicaid program for medically unnecessary and expensive dental work on pediatric patients.
MA Employers Face New Health Care Assessments in 2018
The new year will bring with it mixed financial news for Massachusetts employers, with $200 million in new health care assessments and unemployment insurance rate relief both scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1.
Lawmakers Leave Insurance Discounts To Last Minute
Massachusetts drivers and homeowners risk losing out on millions of dollars’ worth of insurance coverage discounts if lawmakers end their two-decade tradition of regularly suspending a unique statutory requirement, according to an insurance trade group.
Report: Health Costs Still A Barrier Despite Low Uninsurance Rate
The Massachusetts uninsurance rate remained well below the rest of the nation for health coverage this year at 3.7 percent, but nearly one in 10 Bay State residents were underinsured, according to a new state report.
Guest Post: Imminent NFIP Lapse Will Mean Trouble For Homebuyers In Flood Plains
If there is one thing that 2017 has taught us, it’s that uncertainty is certain. From international dealings to domestic policy, no time has been as uncertain as now. There’s no exception when
California Department Of Insurance Seeks To Suspend Wells Fargo’s Licenses
The California Department of Insurance is seeking to suspend or revoke Wells Fargo & Co.’s licenses for alleged improper insurance sales practices related to the company’s online insurance referral program.
