WellCare Health Plans to acquire Advicare Corp. assets; Feds give green light to Iowa plan to privatize Medicaid

> According to data from the tax-filing software TurboTax, nearly three in four people who lacked health insurance last year were exempt from the penalty under the Affordable Care Act, The Hill reports. Article

> The federal government has approved Iowa's plan to privatize its Medicaid program, saying the state may move forward with the plan April 1, according to the Des Moines Register. Article

> A federal district court recently ruled that an employee may proceed with a class-action lawsuit that alleges that her employer violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act when it reduced employees' hours to avoid incurring increased costs under the ACA, according to an article posted by the law firm Cozen O'Connor. Article

> WellCare Health Plans has reached an agreement to acquire certain assets of Advicare Corp., a managed care organization that provides Medicaid benefits in South Carolina. Pending regulatory approvals, Wellcare's acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2016. Announcement

AntiFraud News

> According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, two-thirds of fraud cases in 2010 involved more than one scheme, including fraudulent billing, falsified patient records and kickbacks. Article

> Fifty-one hospitals in 15 states agreed to pay $23 million to settle false claims allegations tied to implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Article

And finally… Forget space, when can we live under water? Article