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When Jessica Chamberlain went to sign up for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for 2026, she not prepared for the sticker shock. Last year, Chamberlain was paying $59.67 in monthly premiums. This year, she would be paying nearly $100. The 43-year-old mother of two from Illinois said she was floored to see her monthly premiums were nearly doubling. (Kekatos, 3/19)

2026 is the year of the “Connecticut option.” On Thursday, the Human Services Committee passed a Connecticut option proposal put forth by Senate Democrats — separate from the policy proposal by the same name that Gov. Ned Lamont has been touting on the campaign trail and mentioned in his State of the State address in February. (Golvala, 3/19)

Maryland regulators fined Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company $80,000 and ordered it to stop reducing payments on certain doctor-billed services — a practice that could leave patients on the hook for more of their health care costs. (Hille and Bazos, 3/20)

Providence is exploring the sale of its health insurance arm as the system seeks to improve its finances. The Renton, Washington-based nonprofit is weighing several strategic options for Providence Health Plan, including a possible divestment. It has not specified a timeline or publicly identified potential buyers. The 51-hospital chain is in the middle of an estimated $2 billion financial turnaround that includes cuts to administrative positions and the sale of hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. (Tepper, 3/19)

Two major medtech companies recently were hit by cyberattacks, calling into question how exposed hospitals could be to such incidents that take place beyond their own walls. Stryker announced March 12 a cyberattack affected its internal Microsoft network worldwide, causing disruptions to order processing, manufacturing and shipping. A company spokesperson said Wednesday the company believes the incident has been contained and is bringing its systems back online, prioritizing those that directly support customers, ordering and shipping. Also on March 12, Intuitive Surgical said it was hit by a cyberattack that exposed customer information and employee and corporate data. (Dubinsky, 3/19)

Law firms working with healthcare organizations say more mergers and acquisitions are likely on the way. The overwhelming majority of respondents to a Modern Healthcare survey of more than 50 law firms said dealmaking-related services are the most frequently in demand. Healthcare organizations are also commonly seeking services related to government compliance, with firms foreseeing heightened regulatory scrutiny concerning finances and billing practices. (Davis, 3/19)

An upstate New York man admitted to leaving harassing and threatening voicemail messages to a family member of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as he pleaded guilty to cyberstalking in federal court Thursday. Shane Daley, 40, was accused by federal prosecutors in August of placing multiple calls to a Thompson family member immediately after the December 2024 shooting and expressing glee about the insurance executive’s killing. (3/19)