aetna

Aetna is poised to manage health coverage plan benefits for North Carolina state workers and teachers next year because Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina won't appeal a judge’s decision that upheld Aetna as the next contract winner.

Insurance giant Aetna will administer North Carolina's health coverage plan for state government employees, teachers, retirees, and their family members starting in 2025, the State Treasurer's Office announced Wednesday.

Aetna, Cigna and Humana now say they will waive most treatment costs associated with COVID-19 that would normally be picked up by patients enrolled in their health plans. Will other firms follow suit?

Health insurer Aetna has reached a settlement with people whose privacy was compromised when their HIV status was visible through the clear address windows on envelopes sent to them.

By combining a health insurer with a drugstore chain, CVS is looking to provide more care from its network of stores. The deal would also give the merged companies more clout with drugmakers.

"Aetna's privacy violation devastated people whose neighbors and family learned their intimate health information," a legal group representing customers says. Aetna calls its mistake "unacceptable."

The two healthcare giants said they were no longer pursuing the deal. A federal judge blocked the merger in January, citing its likely adverse effect on competition in the health insurance market.

In his decision, Judge John Bates said he believed health insurance giant Aetna had tried to leverage its original support for Obamacare to get federal approval for its acquisition of rival Humana.

A July letter from Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini to the Justice Department said the company would pull back from health insurance exchanges if the government opposed the company's merger with Humana.