> Bethesda, Md.-based Coventry Health Care said the takeover by Aetna will not immediately affect its workforce, the Washington Business Journal reported. Aetna is buying Coventry for $7.3 billion. Article
> Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Key Physicians are forming an accountable care organization to lower costs by reducing duplicate tests or procedures and complications from multiple medications, the former announced Thursday. Announcement
> A pilot of WellDoc's DiabetesManager by diabetic employees of Health Care Service Corporation--which runs Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in four states--determined the technology to be "highly useful" in an online end-user survey. FierceHealthIT
> The Obama administration has been praising the success of private Medicare plans, reported The New York Times. Such plans, mainly health maintenance organizations, cover more than 12.5 million beneficiaries. Article
And Finally… Consumers want fewer options when planning ahead. Article