Arizona-Based Co-Op To Close at the End of the Year
Executives of an Arizona-based cooperative health insurance plan established under the Affordable Care Act were unable to secure additional financial backing, and the plan will cease operations on Dec. 31. CMS removed health plans offered by Meritus Health Partners and Meritus Mutual Health Partners from the federal exchange following an order for supervision filed by the Arizona Department of Insurance. The co-op did not consent to the order, which prohibited the company from writing new health coverage policies or renewing its existing policies. The health plan's closure means that about 59,000 Arizona residents who had coverage through Meritus will have to find new coverage for 2016.
- "Arizona Health Insurance Co-Op To Close Shop Dec. 31" (Christie, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 11/24).