WellPoint fires consumer business CEO; UnitedHealth passes WellPoint in membership;

> WellPoint terminated its consumer business Chief Executive Brian Sassi after its fourth-quarter results were negatively affected by high claims in its Medicare plans, reported Reuters. Article

> Cigna CEO David Cordani has joined ChildObesity180, a national organization fighting childhood obesity through exercise, according to the Hartford Courant. "The very best way to ensure a healthy life is to begin exercising and eating right as a child," Cordani said. "Schools play a critical role in encouraging children to be active and in supporting healthy lifestyles from a young age." Article

> UnitedHealth has passed WellPoint to become the health insurance company with the most enrolled customers. Data from Mark Farrah Associates show that, as of September 2011, WellPoint had 34.355 million people enrolled in plans, but UnitedHealth has 34.395 million--a difference of about 40,000 members. Article

> Consumer Watchdog and other consumer advocacy groups hope to increase regulation of health insurance rate increases in California with a ballot measure campaign they launched Wednesday, reported the San Francisco Bay Guardian. The ballot measure would require insurers to publicly justify their rate increase requests, require the insurers' CEOs confirm financial data under penalty of perjury and make rate increases subject to approval by California's Insurance Commissioner. Article

> And Finally... Time is money, unless you want to relax. Article