Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia and Riverside Health, an integrated health network serving eastern Virginia, announced a new multiyear agreement that ensures Anthem members will continue to have uninterrupted, in-network access to Riverside’s hospitals, provider organizations, and outpatient care services across the region. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade…

Nearly two-thirds (31) of state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) plans cover behavioral health therapy for children and youth whether or not the children/youth have a diagnosed behavioral health disorder. Nearly one-third of children ages 3-17 enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP plans as of 2021 reported having mental, emotional, developmental, and/or behavioral needs,…

Erickson Senior Living, which develops and manages continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), announced its Medicare Advantage health plan, Erickson Advantage, has been awarded a 5-out-of-5-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the sixth year in a row. Each year, CMS measures the performance of Medicare Advantage plans using the…

While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services with no consumer cost-sharing, out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for which they should be exempt are still incurred, according to a recent study. Gaps in enforcing the cost-sharing exemption particularly affect those with chronic conditions, who pay higher OOP…

Cityblock Health and Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. (Meridian) announced a partnership to bring comprehensive, community-based care to 10,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in urban and rural communities across 17 counties in the greater Springfield and St. Louis Metro East areas. Meridian is a managed care organization in Illinois and a company of Centene Corporation. Cityblock…

After Cincinnati Children’s HealthVine Medicaid pediatric accountable care organization (ACO) expanded the use of telehealth in 2021 within its service area of southwest Ohio, the ACO reported savings of $610,000 due to lower utilization of high-intensity care, according to a case study Serving more than 100,000 children, the ACO’s use of telehealth resulted in 693…

Included Health, which provides a virtual and in-person care coordination and system navigation platform, launched Dot by Included Health, an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Dot will provide secure access to individuals’ medical history, claims, and benefits, and will facilitate connections to nationwide clinical care teams. Over the past year, Dot has been refined and scaled…

A larger percentage of U.S. children between 2015 and 2019 relied on Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), or Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans for continuous health insurance coverage than were continuously covered by an employer-sponsored health plan, according to a recent analysis. About 26.0% of children between 2015 and 2019 were continuously…

On September 19, 2025, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) published an announcement stating that it was extending its current contracts with Mercy Care, Banner-University Family Care, and Arizona Physicians IPA (doing business as UnitedHealthcare Community Plan) through September 30, 2026, for the Arizona Long Term Care System-Elderly and/or Physically Disabled (ALTCS-EPD) program.…

Kaiser Permanente and Renown Health announced their agreement to jointly own and operate a health plan and outpatient care delivery system that will bring Kaiser Permanente to northern Nevada beginning in 2026. Pending regulatory approval, Kaiser Permanente Nevada will offer health plan coverage to employers and the people of northern Nevada starting with open enrollment in 2026.…