Illinois selects Aetna, Cigna, Humana for dual-eligible demo; Kaiser boosts third-quarter profits;

> Illinois selected Aetna, Cigna and Humana, along with Centene and Molina to administer Medicare and Medicaid benefits as part of a new demonstration program for about 136,000 dual-eligible patients, reported The Wall Street Journal. Article

> Aetna and Coventry have agreed to amend their acquisition deal by lowering the break-up fee and discussion time Coventry would have to pay Aetna if it found a better offer, according to the Dow Jones Newswires. Coventry would owe Aetna $100 million instead of $167.5 million if it ends the deal, and Coventry would have to negotiate in good faith with Aetna for two days rather than five days before ending the agreement. Article

> Kaiser Permanente reported increased third-quarter profits and revenue. The company posted $12.7 billion in revenue, up 6.7 percent from last year, and $561 million in income, which increased from $320 million last year, according to the San Francisco Business Times. Article           

And Finally… The snake that bites doesn't always kill. Article