Molina sues over Missouri Medicaid contract; Cigna hires first chief nursing officer;

>Molina Healthcare has filed a lawsuit, alleging that the Missouri insurance department violated state competitive bidding laws when it awarded Medicaid contracts to Aetna, UnitedHealth, Centene and two other insurers, reported the Kansas City Star. Molina also questioned whether Centene, which has made major contributions to Gov. Jay Nixon, had preferential treatment in the bidding process. Article

> The Blues companies in Montana and Idaho have together acquired and merged Peak 1 Administration and Insurance Coordinators of Montana, which offer health products and employee-benefit administration services. Under the joint-venture ownership, Peak 1 Administration will provide ancillary health insurance products, the Billings Gazette reported. Article

> Cigna has hired its first chief nursing officer, Susan Gaca, who will advocate for and represent Cigna's more than 2,000 nurses and allied health professionals. Gaca worked as a registered nurse for more than 15 years and held clinical-related roles at Pacificare and United Healthcare, according to the Hartford Business Journal. Article

> And Finally... It was music to his ears. Article