> Health Care Service Corp., the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans, reported $918.0 million in net income for the first three quarters of 2011, according to Crain's Chicago Business. Last year, the Chicago-based company more than doubled it's annual profit to $1.1 billion from $514.5 million in 2009. Article
> The Regence Group has been fined $100,000 for failing to provide accurate information about the cost-sharing changes for durable medical equipment and related supplies to its Medicare Advantage members, according to The Lund Report. Article
> Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is reaching out to consumers using a new method--a car. The Blue to You van is a customized, multifunction vehicle with computers offering guided research on health and wellness information, plus two semi-private consultation booths to provide answers about plans and claims, according to NJBiz. The van will make regular stops at communities and events to help Horizon use face-to-face interactions to make complex insurance products easier to comprehend. Article
> Highmark CEO Ken Melani told a state Senate panel that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center shouldn't end its contract with the insurer next year, reports the Pittsburgh Business Times. "We're going to have chaos in southwest Pennsylvania if their plan goes forward," Melani told legislators at the hearing. "We need to make sure this contract is extended for a considerable period of time." Article
> The latest rankings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance show that the 10 best private, Medicare and Medicaid plans were nonprofit, reports The Hill's Healthwatch. Blog post
And Finally... If you're online, you're probably lying. Article