Employer-sponsored health plans and other private plans seem to be covering more Americans, but people with income over 400% of the federal poverty level are less likely to have any coverage.

Democrats in California have agreed to delay a minimum wage increase for about 426,000 health care workers to help balance the state’s budget. The agreement is part of a larger plan to close an estimated $46.8 billion shortfall.

A federal appeals court in California has shielded a health insurer against a state-law breach-of-contract claims and other state-law claims. A three judge panel at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently found that the state-law claims had a “connection with” a benefit plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Congress passed ERISA in ...

Risant Health, the nonprofit entity created by Kaiser Permanente, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire North Carolina’s Cone Health, the nonprofit systems said Friday. Cone would be the second system to join Risant, subject to regulatory approval, following Geisinger Health earlier this year. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. It is expected to close in ...

Cigna and Oscar Health have announced they will exit the Small Group market in California and other states as of December 15, 2024. Cigna + Oscar exited the Covered California Affordable Care Act marketplace in 2023. Current groups with Cigna + Oscar coverage will be allowed to renew early (for coverage effective 12/1/2024) if they ...

Sutter Health was absolved this week from a California whistleblower lawsuit alleging the nonprofit system owed $519 million for double-billing patients. After a seven-week trial, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Stephen Kaus ruled Monday retired surgeon Dr. Gregory Duncan and patient Gary Hulbert failed to show that Sutter’s billing practices for surgical patients were fraudulent. Duncan and ...