Provider, doctors may pull out of Washington, DC, program

The Washington, DC, region's largest private healthcare provider is threatening to pull its planned $5 million annual contribution and its doctors network out of proposal to mandate healthcare coverage for all city residents. DC City Council member David A. Catania said he is retooling his Healthy DC legislation after deciding that the city could sign up the estimated 45,000 affected residents by reaching out to them rather than assessing the $250 fine as originally proposed. He added that CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, which would have entered into a contract with the city to carry out Healthy DC, has been indecisive.