Eight health insurance companies agreed to improve the accuracy of the provider directories they post on their websites, according to deals struck with New York’s attorney general.

Similar bills filed in the Pennsylvania House and Senate would give the state more power to negotiate contracts between insurers and health care providers, including Highmark and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

Aetna, the national health insurer, has a new look and logo, which it says “continues its evolution from an insurance carrier to a health solutions company.”

Aetna has launched Aetna Whole Health in western Va., one of its first new health benefit plan using the accountable care organization (ACO) model.

Highmark and the West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) agreed on a definitive partnership and selected an interim chief executive officer to oversee the implementation of the agreement.

A Columbia, Md., based company that provides wellness and other health services settled allegations of false claims over Medicaid and Veteran Affairs Department payments received from October 1998 through May 2009.

A Portland, Ore.-based health insurance company is experiencing system change problems, which the company says is from the new system required under the federal health reform.

New rate review rules, enacted Sept. 1 under the federal health reform, and Maryland’s rate review changes, will “reverse the tide” of rising health insurance premiums, industry and government officials say.

Federal health reform rules for health insurance rate reviews, which took effect today (Sept. 1), may not be “strict” enough to protect consumers against insurers’ rate hikes, consumer advocacy groups say.

Health insurance agent and broker commissions were cut by a number of insurers because of the new medical loss ratio (MLR) included in the federal health reform law, according to the nonpartisan Government Accounting Office.