The man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare's CEO outside a New York City hotel is unlikely to appear in Manhattan federal court again before mid-February after prosecutors and lawyers on Monday requested more time to prepare the case for trial. The lawyers agreed in a letter to the court that the deadline to bring an indictment against Luigi Mangione can be extended from Jan. 18 to Feb. 17.
A Massachusetts court ordered three health insurance companies affiliated with UnitedHealthcare to pay $165 million in damages to consumers and the state after an earlier finding the companies engaged in deceptive sales practices, the state attorney general's office said Monday.
Suffolk Superior Court Justice Hélène Kazanjian ruled that HealthMarkets Inc., and two subsidiaries, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company and HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, must pay $50 million in restitution for Massachusetts consumers and $115 million in civil penalties to the state. The charges are a result of violations to a previous settlement agreement and Massachusetts law.
Key violations by the insurers include misleading customers into buying supplemental health insurance through deceptive "bundling" practices and agents misrepresenting themselves as impartial, licensed "insurance advisors," or representing all insurance carriers.
Health insurance companies in Minnesota are now required by law to cover the cost of wigs for those who have lost their hair due to a medical condition. Originally, only alopecia was covered, but not alopecia caused by cancer. The legislation comes into effect days after the death from ovarian cancer of former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic. Dziedzic, who authored the provision in the omnibus bill and died on Dec. 27, had her own struggles with hair loss.
Now that these drugs are in greater demand from both patients and doctors, state Medicaid programs are grappling with whether to cover them for weight loss, both for reasons of equity and to save on future health expenditures. Some researchers, however, question whether the drugs can help lower costs in the long run.
From the 'careless bureaucracy' to high costs, the American healthcare system is broken. The murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO could mark a moment for reform.
Elevance Health closed its acquisition of Indiana University Health Plans, adding to its growing portfolio of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield operations. The company Tuesday said IU Health is "known for its local brand awareness, community involvement, high-touch customer service, and extensive product offerings." Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The bulk of the IU Health Plans business is in the company's Medicare Advantage plans with 19,000 seniors in 36 Indiana counties enrolled. Another 9,600 health plan members are in "fully-insured commercial plans for employers," Elevance said.