News Briefs

✦ A federal district judge upheld the Trump administration’s proposed rule to force hospital systems to reveal the prices they negotiate with insurers. The American Hospital Association (AHA), which brought a suit against HHS over the rule, said it would appeal the decision. The judge, Carl Nichols, who was appointed by President Trump, said that HHS fulfilled all of its statutory obligations in issuing the rule and criticized the AHA’s evidence, writing that HHS’s case was “more persuasive than a decades-old case study involving Danish ready-mixed concrete contracts and research predating the transparency measures promulgated at the state level.” Read more at https://bit.ly/2Yt6YmI.

✦ Cigna Corp. and Oscar Insurance Corp. said they will launch their joint venture to offer fully insured small group plans in Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay Area and Tennessee’s largest cities starting in the fourth quarter of 2020. The new plans will follow Oscar’s telehealth-focused blueprint, and feature “no charge, 24/7 virtual doctor visits,” according to a June 23 Cigna press release. The release also touted $3 prescription drug copays, behavioral health “coaching” programs and access to “multiple Cigna networks” of providers. “Cigna + Oscar was created with the purpose of addressing small businesses’ unique challenges through solutions tailored to their budgets and care designed to prioritize their employees’ health needs. Their top priority is our top priority, and right now that’s recovery,” said Chelsea Cooper, senior vice president of small group business at Oscar. Read more at https://bit.ly/3fXLF2i.

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