Cigna taking 'multiple' steps to protect consumer data; Arkansas private option will live another day;

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> Cigna CEO David Cordani told Bloomberg that the insurer uses multiple layers of protection and diagnostic services to protect consumer data. Innovation will be key to staying ahead of hackers, he added. Video

> Healthcare costs in Massachusetts are slated to rise 7 percent this year, insurance executives said at the New England Employee Benefits Council. This is "moderate" compared to other states but nonetheless well ahead of the Bay State's goal of holding healthcare spending growth to 3.6 percent per year, according to the Boston Globe. Article

> Arkansas' private option of Medicaid expansion received the three-fourths majority vote it needed in the state House of Representatives to be funded through June 2016, the Associated Press reported. A task force is set to determine the feasibility of the program beyond next year. Article

Health IT News

> As the amount of data flowing through health information exchanges grows, those in charge of the systems are looking at ways to capitalize on that data and use it to help patients. Article

Health Finance News

> The Affordable Care Act, with its individual mandate and subsidized health insurance policies, was intended to address the ongoing issue of medical debt. But it has barely made a dent in the phenomenon. Millions of Americans continue to labor to pay off bills they had accumulated as the result of medical emergencies or ongoing healthcare issues. Article

And finally … Man steals cruiser, taunts police over radio and (surprise!) gets caught in the end. Article