Massachusetts regulators OK joint Caritas-Centene healthcare venture

State regulators voted to accept a bid by a Massachusetts Catholic hospital chain and a secular health organization to provide health insurance to thousands of low-income residents. The Connector Authority board voted unanimously in favor of the joint venture proposed by Centene Corp., a St. Louis-based health organization, and Caritas Christi Health Care Network. The vote followed several closed-door sessions in which officials from Centene and Caritas assured regulators that women will have "ready access" to family planning and reproductive services, an issue that sparked concerns from abortion foes and reproductive rights activists.