Obamacare’s fate may rest on patience of Anthem, Aetna
Anthem Inc. and Aetna Inc. are on the hot seat now that UnitedHealth Group Inc. appears unlikely to linger as a seller on the Affordable Care Act’s government-run markets.
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Mortgage, auto loans push household debt to 5-year high
Accelerating increases in auto loan debt and mortgage credit helped propel total borrowings of U.S. households to the highest level since the first quarter of 2010, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Thursday.
Americans’ outlook for economy holds close to 13-month low
One in five Americans in November said the economy is improving, matching the smallest share in two years.
UnitedHealth may quit Obamacare market in blow to health law
Insurer UnitedHealth Group, which has 28,000 Obamacare customers in Indiana, said it might quit selling plans under the Affordable Care Act. Thursday’s announcement took a toll on health insurance stocks, including Anthem’s.
Fogle sentenced to 15 years for porn, sex crimes
U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt on Thursday sentenced Jared Fogle to more federal prison time than prosecutors requested after testimony detailing the former Subway pitchman’s penchant for pornography, prostitutes and prepubescent girls.
Federal Reserve officials signal confidence in economy
Federal Reserve officials talked up recent data on the U.S. economy and said it reinforced the case for soon raising interest rates.
Target, Wal-Mart see online sales growth slow in ominous sign
Both retailers are investing heavily in e-commerce operations, but the deceleration in online sales growth underscores the challenge of competing with Amazon.com, the world’s largest Internet retailer.
U.S. doctors group calls for drug advertising ban
In a vote Tuesday, the American Medical Association called for an end to television commercials and magazine spreads that are used to pitch prescription drugs directly to consumers.
Despite wealth of attention, new female libido pill isn’t selling
The number of prescriptions for Addyi, the women’s libido-boosting pill, in its first few weeks? 227.
Heft not enough to justify insurer deals, top DOJ lawyer says
Assistant Attorney General William Baer said that consumer choice is a bigger priority than health companies’ desire to add market share and gain leverage over providers like hospitals.
Surviving U.S. power plants will help keep coal demand steady through 2016
Power plants with a total of 23 gigawatts of coal-burning capacity will close this year as utilities strive to meet federal limits on mercury and other air toxins but American will still use 773 million tons of coal in 2016, the same as this year.
Public colleges lift the bar on fundraising campaigns
Public U.S. colleges are growing more ambitious in the philanthropy race with multi-billion campaigns. An Indiana philanthropy expert says doing so could give lawmakers an excuse to further cut appropriations for higher education.
Pinnacle’s $4.7B casino sale faces challenge at Indiana hearing
Pinnacle Entertainment’s proposed sale of its casinos to Gaming & Leisure Properties is being opposed by a union that will ask the Indiana Gaming Commission to reject the plan, saying the deal would give the company more casinos than state law allows.
Doctor group asks regulators to block health insurer mergers
Anthem Inc. shouldn’t be permitted to buy Cigna Corp. and Aetna Inc. should be blocked from acquiring Humana Inc., the American Medical Association said in a letter Wednesday to the head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division.
Crop prices fall as U.S. boosts soybean, corn outlook
Crop prices dropped after the latest forecasts from the U.S. government showed soybean production will rise to a record and corn output will be more than analysts expected.
MBA programs moving closer to gender parity
More than a half-century after top universities began admitting women to their MBA programs, business schools are finally catching up to law and medical schools in gender parity.
VW struggling to keep dealers happy as scandal widens
Volkswagen AG’s goodwill offer of $1,000 to the owners of cars caught in the emissions scandal comes as the company wages a behind-the-scenes effort to soothe another powerful constituency: its U.S. dealers.
Cheap hams could steal the show from turkeys this Thanksgiving
This year’s bird-flu outbreak in the U.S. means turkeys will be more expensive for families sitting down this month for their Thanksgiving meal. But domestic pork supplies are at records, driving down prices.
Republic facing turbulence despite new labor pact with pilots
Amid the restructuring of flying contracts, Republic Airways executives clearly signaled that Chapter 11 (dubbed Plan B inside the company) remains an option if more lucrative deals with the Big Three airlines (Plan A) can’t be reached.
Adidas offers to help schools change ‘offensive’ names
The world’s second-largest sporting goods maker announced a nationwide initiative to provide financial assistance and design resources to any U.S. high school open to a change.