Doctors and health care providers have formed 106 new accountable care organizations in Medicare, the Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

Mercer has jumped into the exchange game. The consulting firm Thursday announced the launch of Mercer Marketplace, a private benefits exchange designed to help employers and employees by offering them a one-stop-shop for their benefits from multiple insurance providers.

From the Rocky Mountains to New England, hospitals are swamped with people with flu symptoms. Some medical centers are turning away visitors or making them wear face masks, and one Pennsylvania hospital set up a tent outside its ER to deal with the feverish patients.

More than 60 million Social Security beneficiaries can access their payment history, benefit verification letter and other services online.