Health Care

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) on Thursday reported second-quarter net income of $1.59 billion.

Health insurer Aetna Inc. has made a deal to buy competitor Humana Inc. in a $37 billion deal the companies say would create the second-largest managed care company.

More than a third of the U.S. population has health coverage through an insurer that either wants to make a huge acquisition or is about to be swallowed up in one.

___ US probing possible airline collusion that kept fares high WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government is investigating possible collusion among major airlines to limit available seats, which keeps airfares high, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.

Major health insurers are trading higher before the opening bell Monday after Anthem went public with a bid to buy Cigna for about $47 billion and a report of another major acquisition surfaced.

Anthem says it still backs an approximately $47-billion bid to buy Cigna, a day after the rival health insurer delivered a caustic rejection of Anthem's proposed cash-and-stock offer.

U.S. health insurer Anthem Inc. is making an offer to buy rival Cigna Corp. for $54 billion, including debt.

The shares of some major health insurers are climbing on a down day for the broader market after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Blue Cross-Blue Shield carrier Anthem tried to buy Cigna.

Only three of seven midsize SUVs from the 2015 model year performed well in front-end crash tests done by an insurance industry group.

Aetna is urging gay customers to "be proud" — and consider buying its coverage — as part of a new, narrow focus to selling health insurance in a business where the individual's buying decision matters more than it used to.

Life insurance firms used to pitch long-term care policies as the prudent way for Americans to shoulder the cost of staying in nursing homes.

Federal health officials say they approved the first lower-cost copy of a biotech drug, a long-awaited milestone that could generate billions in savings for insurers, doctors and patients.

The Obama administration is unveiling what it calls a historic shift in the way Medicare pays hospitals and doctors.

A consumer advocacy group has filed a class-action lawsuit against Aetna Inc. saying a new policy violates the privacy of people with HIV and AIDS by requiring them to get their medications from its mail-order pharmacy.

Millions of Medicare Advantage customers are fast approaching a deadline for a task they'd rather avoid: Researching and then settling on coverage plans for 2015.

In a big year for deal making, the health care industry is a standout.

Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE Genworth Financial Inc., down $5.41 to $8.66 The financial services company reported a quarterly loss on higher costs, and the results fell short of Wall Street expectations.

Federal health officials have approved a daily pill that can cure the most common form of hepatitis C without the grueling pill-and-injection cocktail long used to treat the virus.

Wal-Mart will eliminate health insurance coverage for most part-time employees in a move aimed at controlling rising health care costs for the retailer.

South Dakota medical patients could have more choice of doctors within their health insurance networks if voters approve a ballot measure that is drawing strong opposition from the health insurance industry.