A spat between Walgreens and U.S. Department of Defense’s Tricare pharmacy benefits program could prohibit nearly 6 million enrollees from obtaining medications from the company’s pharmacies next year.

Saying it is “extremely disappointed” with the decision, Aetna plans to determine why it was disqualified from winning a multi-billion dollar contract to provide health care to members of the military.

President Barack Obama signed legislation this week ensuring that members of the military and their dependents don’t get penalized for not having private insurance in the first of what could be several efforts to mop up small inconsistencies in the federal health care reform legislation.

As part of a $636 billion defense spending bill, Congress has forwarded a proposed extension of Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) benefits.

UnitedHealthcare has reached an agreement with Health Net Inc., to acquire its subsidiaries in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey in a deal that could total $630 million.

The move comes …  Read →