Core and Group Health

The state imposed a $250,000 penalty on MVP Health and asked it to provide restitution for enrollees hurt by inaccurate directory entries.

The US Justice Department's criminal division is digging into UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s prescription management services as well as how it reimburses its own doctors under an ongoing probe into the firm's operations, according to people familiar with the matter.

An arbiter selects either the provider's or the insurer's amount with no other option, and the losing side pays the fees.

In some cases, employers with more than 50 employees may end up owing penalties if the employees' share of the premiums for their health benefits exceeds official government affordability thresholds for too many employees.

The move could affect what some employer plans pay for high-cost procedure bundles.

For many people who have the kind of insurance plans created by the Affordable Care Act, rates have probably risen even more drastically.