Employers in Indiana took on hospitals, and the fight got nasty. Companies in other states are now following their playbook wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

A group of senators is pressing Russia to release Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich as he hits six months in detention after being arrested on a reporting trip wsj.com/world/senators… via The Wall Street Journal

Walgreens names Tim Wentworth as its new chief executive, after WSJ first reports the appointment. wsj.com/health/pharmac… via The Wall Street Journal

Medicare enrollment kicks off Oct. 15. Here are some tips for avoiding common traps that can cost people money or leave them with fewer choices of doctors and hospitals. wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

A story in charts: slamming the broader economy, inflation struck healthcare in 2023, when the cost of a family’s health insurance rose 7% from the previous year to nearly $24,000. wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

Many seniors are struggling to decide which Medicare plan to sign up for—here are tips and answers to some of their most common questions wsj.com/finance/invest… via The Wall Street Journal

Hospital E.R.s have seen a surge of children with mental-health issues. Some stay for weeks waiting for ​psychiatric treatment. “It disturbs me on a level I really can't describe.” wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

Cigna and Humana are in talks for a combination that would create a new powerhouse in the health-insurance industry wsj.com/business/deals… via The Wall Street Journal

CVS Health says it is moving away from the complex formulas that determine the prices of the prescription drugs it sells, a move that could upend how pharmacies are paid wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

Cigna is in advanced talks to sell its Medicare business in an about-face for the health-insurance giant, which had been expanding its footprint in the fast-growing sector wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

A new academic paper just posted, looking at Medicare Advantage risk adjustment. The authors examine how risk scores have gone up over time, naming specific plans. Their findings will no doubt add to the debate over this topic. See here: ssrn.com/abstract=46999…

Belated tweet, sorry! The Justice Department has launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group, owner of the nation’s biggest health insurer wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been deprived of 12 months of normal existence; a year of missed weddings, reporting trips and travels with friends wsj.com/world/russia/e… via The Wall Street Journal

Hackers of UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare broke in nine days before ransomware attack wsj.com/articles/chang… via The Wall Street Journal

Local governments are under increasing pressure to be primary units of democracy, able to solve any problem, at any level. But they lack the power, resources & legal authority for such broad governance. So it's time to write new Magna Cartas. noemamag.com/i-wrote-the-ma…

A respected colleague, Marshall Allen, has tragically passed away. If you wish to support his family, there is a GoFundMe available here: gofund.me/af94994b

To keep a lid on its $1.5 billion yearly healthcare spending, a union sought to exclude NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals from its health network. But the system wouldn’t walk away without a hefty sum. wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

Medicare will redo its quality ratings of privately run Medicare Advantage plans, a decision that could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in bonus payments to embattled health insurers wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal

Exclusive: Kaiser Permanente’s new Risant Health unit plans to acquire Cone Health, in a deal to build a network of nonprofit health systems across the U.S. wsj.com/business/deals… via The Wall Street Journal

Insurers collected $50 billion extra from Medicare by making questionable diagnoses, often without the knowledge of patients or their doctors. wsj.com/health/healthc… via The Wall Street Journal