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Glaring differences in insurance coverage persist for amputees, children with autism and others in need of certain expensive treatments even after the Affordable Care Act set new standards as part of its push to expand and improve coverage, and despite efforts by states to mandate coverage for some treatments. These differences don't develop simply because some people pay more for better coverage. Instead, they stem from random factors like what state someone lives in or who happens to provide their coverage — and often people can do nothing about it. The federal health care law largely leaves decisions on what actually gets covered up to states or employers who provide insurance for their workers. (9/8)

The American Medical Association and several consumer groups called on a New York regulator to reject Anthem and Cigna's proposed $53 billion merger over concerns it will stifle insurance competition and lead to more costly, lower quality healthcare across the state. The majority of speakers at a two-hour New York Department of Financial Services hearing Thursday told the state agency that regulation and concessions from the insurers would not ameliorate the anticompetitive impact the massive insurer consolidation would have on consumers, businesses or providers. (Teichert, 9/8)

Walgreens believes that it will probably have to unload more stores than expected to ease antitrust concerns over its pending, $9.41 billion acquisition of Rite Aid, a deal that would make the nation's largest drugstore chain even larger. While it still expects to complete the acquisition this year, the Deerfield, Illinois, company said Thursday that it will probably have to divest more than 500 stores. The company previously said that it expected to divest 500 or fewer. (9/8)