Due to extraordinary demand, the Obama administration has extended the Obamacare signup deadline by four days – from December 15 to midnight on Monday December 19. December 19 is the last day to buy coverage that goes into effect on January 1, The Hill reports.

On Wednesday the Senate cleared a bipartisan bill to advance medical cures, the biggest health care package to pass Congress since ObamaCare, reports The Hill.

The government announced today that Social Security recipients and federal retirees will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase of just 0.3 percent in 2017. The increase will take effect on Dec. 30, 2016.

Starting in 2017, five states will begin testing a new Part D enhanced medication therapy management model. One of those states is Arizona!

Telehealth has been gaining in popularity with commercial health plans, and it soon may be used with Medicare too. Modern Healthcare reports that a new bi-partisan bill aims to tweak rules coverage Medicare Accountable Care organizations. One of the more notable provisions is a waiver on telehealth restrictions. This is a change sought by the American Medical Group Association and others.

Young adults had the highest uninsured rates before the Affordable Care Act and have seen the sharpest drop in uninsured rates since 2010. Yet millions of young adults remain uninsured.

We previously told you that Cigna would be the only Marketplace provider left standing in Maricopa county. Now, we’re learning that Cigna won’t actually offer its own plans through the Affordable Care Act exchange. In fact, according to the Phoenix Business Journal, Cigna’s only role will be to offer its Cigna Medical Group network to Centene.

According to a 9/6 article in Bloomberg.com, health insurer, Cigna Corp cannot sign up new customers for its private Medicare plans during the 2016 fall open enrollment season. Sanctions were announced back in January and have not been resolved in time for this year’s open enrollment. The ban came after the U.S. found problems in how the company managed appeals and grievances, as well as drug coverage.

A new article posted in the 9/14/15 edition of The Hill, suggests that discussions may be underway about a possible settlement with insurance companies related to Obamacare payments. Several insurers have sued under the “risk corridors” program, meant to protect insurers from heavy losses in the initial period after the law was enacted. However, payouts have been limited to 12.6 percent of the money owed in the first year, due to a shortfall in funds.