health plans

Cone Health is planning to merge with Sentara, a larger health care system based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Well-known insurers are selling new sorts of health plans outside the Affordable Care Act exchanges that may sound cheaper but aren't necessarily. Some, for example, charge extra for common surgeries.

Some health plans are refusing to count the copayment assistance offered by drugmakers as part of a patient's deductible. That means some patients are paying thousands of dollars more out-of-pocket.

Insurers can reduce benefits or change how much they are willing to pay for services, but they are generally supposed to give customers 60 days' notice.

Highlighting the country's sharp divide over abortion and mixed reactions to requirements in the Affordable Care Act, Texas restricts insurance coverage while Oregon requires that it be covered.