News From Around the Web
> Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Connecticut) wants to repeal the excise tax on costly health plans, known as the Cadillac Tax, that is scheduled to go into effect in 2018, reported PlanSponsor. Courtney says the tax is not smart healthcare reform and that will erode workers' benefits. Article
> New York Speaker Carl Heastie plans to allow the chamber to vote on a bill that would replace the multi-payer health insurance system with a single-payer system that charges consumers based on their income, according to the Legislative Gazette. Legislation would exclude premiums, deductibles and co-pays in the state. Article
> The nation's third-largest insurer, Aetna, will stop covering laparoscopic power morcellator starting March 15, reported the Wall Street Journal. The decision comes after regulators found the tool can spread cancer in women. Article
AntiFraud News
> Following a $15 million settlement by BioScrip in January, another specialty pharmaceutical provider has agreed to a multi-million settlement for taking kickbacks from the drug manufacturer Novartis, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Article
> One of the largest dialysis providers in the country has agreed to pay nearly half a billion dollars to settle claims that it improperly billed Medicare by intentionally wasting large vials of medicine, according to Reuters. Article
And finally … Turning 21 calls for … 21 acts of kindness? Article