Â鶹ŮÓÅ

A struggling Illinois health insurance co-op is suing the federal government, claiming it is being shortchanged $72.8 million in promised payments under the Affordable Care Act. Chicago-based Land of Lincoln Health filed the lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. At least four other insurers have filed similar claims over the so-called risk corridor payments, a temporary provision of the health care law meant to help unprofitable insurers and stabilize consumer prices during the first three years of the law's new insurance exchanges. (6/23)

The state’s health insurance marketplace will again have five companies offering plans next year, but the number of small-group options will fall by about one-third and the number of companies offering dental insurance will be down to two. Those numbers, presented at a public session Thursday, are still preliminary and don’t include rates, which are still in flux. It is generally expected that prices will rise sharply next year; insurance companies are citing losses due to factors such as high drug costs and a shortage of healthy patients enrolling in the programs to balance out patients who use a lot of medical services. (Brooks, 6/23)

Minnesota's largest health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has decided to stop selling health plans to individuals and families in Minnesota starting next year. The insurer explained extraordinary financial losses drove the decision. ... The Blues reported a loss of $265 million on insurance operations from individual market plans in 2015. The insurer said claims for medical care far exceeded premium revenue for those plans. (Zdechlik, 6/24)

Colorado could become the first state in the union to offer its citizens universal, single-payer health care if voters approve an amendment on November's ballot. Supporters hope that if Amendment 69, known as ColoradoCare, passes, other states will follow. (Burke, 6/23)