Cost-Containment

Williamson Health plans to join Ascension Saint Thomas in a transaction valued at nearly $1 billion, becoming one of the latest independent health systems to pursue a larger partner before financial pressures escalate.

The revised codes replace the decades-old global maternity-care bundle with a reporting framework that captures four distinct phases of care -- antepartum care, labor management, delivery and postpartum.

UnitedHealth, Integrity and two independent pharmacy benefits have also announced deals.

But providers started many, many more NSA independent dispute resolution cases, and the providers won most of those, according to a new data feed.

"As more household budgets are focused on essentials, many people find it harder to save, plan ahead, and feel in control of their future," Bernd Heinemann, head of group strategy, marketing, and distribution for Allianz SE, said in a statement.

"Recent spending growth was most evident in the population younger than age 65, which has more variation in insurance coverage, affecting both service use and prices," the report said.