Health care costs seem to continue on an upward spiral each year, and to combat this, the Department of Health and Human Services has formed a health care exchange system as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Aetna announced Wednesday it will acquire PayFlex Holdings for roughly $202 million, as the health insurer looks to expand its existing consumer fund services business.

The projected long-term funding shortfall for the Kansas public pension system has risen to nearly $8.3 billion.

The top Democrat in the House reacted positively to a new bipartisan budget plan emerging in the Senate, even as a top House GOP military hawk said it would cut defense way too much.