News in brief - Nov. 12, 2001

WellPoint drops suit against Aetna - Calif. health insurers limit Cipro use - N.C. Blues plan seeks for-profit status

WellPoint drops suit against Aetna

WellPoint Health Networks Inc. has dropped its lawsuit against rival Aetna Inc. Neither company would comment on the matter.

The suit, filed in late August, claimed Aetna's hiring of WellPoint's Ronald Williams, president of its large-division group, was in direct violation of an agreement the two had signed (AMNews, Sept. 24).

Calif. health insurers limit Cipro use

Health insurers in California are putting the kibosh on Cipro.

PacifiCare Health Systems, Health Net of California, Blue Cross of California and the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan have all given physicians and pharmacies new guidelines that limit Cipro prescriptions to 14 days.

The goal is to discourage unnecessary use, the plans say, but it may also be a way to control costs, with Cipro costing $1.83 per pill or $12 a day in a regimen to treat anthrax.

Insurers said the focus was on limiting frivolous use of antibiotics in general and that a longer course of the drug would be permitted with a physician's explanation and preapproval from the health plan.

Health Net said the 14-day limit was also in place for doxycycline and other antibiotics.

N.C. Blues plan seeks for-profit status

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has asked to meet with the state to discuss legal details on converting to a for-profit plan.

Plan administrators said they want to come to an agreement with the state on voting rights and stock registration before bringing the issue to a vote with the Blues' board.

In June, the North Carolina Blues bought the state's largest for-profit HMO, Partners National Health Plans of North Carolina Inc., and in August it made its intention to become a for-profit insurer known to the state.

The North Carolina Blues has 2.5 million members since it bought Partners.