News From Around the Web
> A new law will allow women in the District of Columbia to obtain a year's supply of birth control pills starting in 2017, but America's Health Insurance Plans has some concerns about the measure, according to Kaiser Health News. Article
> Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico wants large-group employers to take advantage of its private exchange, Blue Directions, which offers 151-plus-employee companies using a defined-contribution strategy the option to piece together features from various coverage packages, Albuquerque Business First reports. Article
> Contra Costa County in California joined 46 other counties in the state when it voted this week to provide non-emergency care for undocumented immigrants, who are not eligible for coverage through Affordable Care Act exchanges but can receive emergency care in hospitals, NPR reports. Article
Health Finance News
> The wave of major healthcare provider and payer mergers prompted by the Affordable Care Act is coming under increased scrutiny from regulators, but healthcare leaders argue the trend's negative effect on consumers and competition is overstated, according to the Wall Street Journal. Article
> A federal judge has thrown out a facet of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposed two-midnight rule, meaning its implementation could be delayed again. Article
And finally… That looks doggone fun. Article