ASC Coding, Billing & Collections

Increasing healthcare costs widen the income gap, based on a Mercatus Center report, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

Aetna reported the payer plans to take out a $3.2 billion bond to help fund its proposed $37 billion Humana acquisition, according to Healthcare Finance.

In April, CMS issued its final regulations to bolster its Medicare managed care rules, according to KFF.org.

A HealthMine survey found 70 percent of consumers do not compare medical services or pharmaceutical drug prices. HealthMine surveyed 750 consumers enrolled in wellness programs.

Alaska is essentially bailing out its insurance market to ensure the Affordable Care Act's sustainability, according to Politico.

At an insurers' summit on June 9, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylva Mathews Burwell placated health insurers worries about the Affordable Care Act's fate in the marketplace, according to The Hill.

A Government Accountability Office report found the number of appeals from physicians and patients challenging denied claims is escalating and the backlog "shows no signs of abating, " according to Kaiser Health News.

The HHS announced new moves to improve ACA marketplaces, according to The Hill.

The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved a $161.9 billion health and education appropriations bill on June 7, according to McKnight's.

The Affordable Care Act implemented a system for marketplace enrollment assistance, which has substantially grown since the ACA's inception. Kaiser Permanente conducted a report, "Health Insurance Marketplace Assister Programs and Brokers," which found nearly 5,000 Assister Programs helped consumers apply…