Health Care Reform

The plaintiffs say the employers and their benefits advisors should have shopped better.

Employer plans' problems include big pharmacy bills, big hospital bills and patients who need a lot of expensive care, the rating agency says.

Under the settlement, Aetna also will pay at least $2 million in damages to California-based members who qualify.

The lawsuit, filed last week in Alabama's Middle District Bankruptcy Court, alleges that Blue Cross has consistently paid Jackson Hospital lower reimbursement rates than other comparable hospitals in the state.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is seeking what it calls "broad public input" on how it can accelerate the adoption and use of artificial intelligence as part of clinical care.

"We hope that you see these assessments as a commitment to setting a new standard of transparency for the health care marketplace, as we believe that you and every person who engages with our health system deserves to understand how we go about our work," said CEO Steve Hemsley.