News From Around the Web
> Fifteen states violate the Affordable Care Act's health insurance benefit mandates for women, according to a study from the National Women's Law Center. For example, Connecticut women have been denied coverage for breastfeeding counseling and education after two months following delivery as required by the ACA. Article
> Fifty-seven percent of Americans polled in a recent YouGov/Huffington Post survey "strongly approve" (26 percent) or "somewhat approve" (31 percent) of the Supreme Court's ruling to uphold federal subsidies in King v. Burwell; 42 percent "strongly" or "somewhat" disapprove. Meanwhile, 38 percent believe the ACA should be repealed and 29 percent say it should be expanded. The rest say it should stay the same (16 percent) or aren't sure. Poll
> Health insurer merger deals could have a big impact on Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. For instance, if Cigna accepts an acquisition deal from Anthem, Anthem's market share would increase from 17 percent to 24 percent in parts of Florida, Drew Altman writes in the Wall Street Journal. If UnitedHealth acquires Aetna, the market share would jump from 44 percent to 69 percent in New Jersey. Less competition would likely lead to higher premiums for many seniors. Article
Health Payer Anti-Fraud News
> Nurses' Registry and Home Health Corp., an official corporate sponsor of the University of Kentucky athletics, has filed for bankruptcy following suspended Medicare payments tied to kickback allegations, according to the Wall Street Journal. Article
> Nearly two months after DaVita Healthcare announced it would pay nearly half a billion dollars to settle claims that it improperly billed Medicare for wasted vials of medication, the largest dialysis provider in the country is facing a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to a Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) filing released by the company Wednesday. Article
And finally … I now pronounce you robot ... and robot. Article