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Discusses the implications of a merger of health insurance company WellChoice and Oxford Health Plans. Advantages of the merger for WellChoice; Details of the proposed acquisition; Views of analysts; Possible concerns about the size of market share in New York; Outlook for the merger.

Reports on attempts by H.M.O. companies to sign up elderly members. Surge in managed care prompted by the Bush administration's plan to pump $46 billion into these programs over the next 10 years; Question as to whether Medicare managed care demonstrates savings over traditional Medicare; Concerns of the elderly, including allotting dollars from tight budgets and whether to believe that the health plans will not abandon them as they did a few years ago.

Reports on the confusion that is expected to ensue among the elderly population of the United States when they receive an array of new government-approved drug discount cards. Acknowledgment from the administration of President George W. Bush that a major effort will be needed to clear up the confusion; Applications for the sponsorship of the new cards by 106 health industry companies; Concerns of industry executives and consumer advocates.

Reports that employers have unleashed a new wave of cutbacks in company-paid health benefits for retirees, with a growing number of companies saying that retirees can retain coverage only if they bear the full cost themselves. Reasons for the trend, including the fast-rising cost of health care; Impact of the sudden increase in premium on retirees; Benefits of the change including access to a group product that they could not duplicate on their own; Comments from early retirees, some of whom have had to return to work to pay for their insurance.

Reports accounting fraud in HealthSouth. Audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers; Victims of fraud; Total of the accounting entries.

Discusses how the number of Americans without health insurance is growing, but the extent of the problem varies widely, state by state. View of some policy makers and health care experts that the best way to give health coverage is to give some people less; Ways that basic coverage packages are being tested in several states, including Utah, Oregon and Idaho; Call on consumers and employers to share the burden of extending coverage, rather than relying on the government; Effort to seek a uniform minimum level for health insurance.

Reports that some doctors and clinics, in an effort to aid patients and bolster their businesses, are waiving coinsurance fees charged to patients by their health plans. Reasons for these fees; Resistance to these measures; Suggestion that these cost-cutting measures may signify an agreement between patients and doctors; Reasons why doctors are waiving coinsurance payments, including the recruitment of patients who would otherwise visit a doctor listed on a health plan's preferred physicians list; Regions of the United States where this practice is common.

Reports that the middleman companies who manage drug benefits for millions of Americans are under growing pressure from a variety of sources to end their practice of cutting secret deals with drug companies. Possible effect of this pressure which could lower drug prices; Reaction from some of the big pharmacy benefit companies who are paid by the employers and the health plans to negotiate reduced drug prices; Refusal by the four biggest companies, Express Scripts, Caremark RX, Advance PCS and Medco Health Solutions to reveal full text on the contracts with manufacturers; Five year investigation by the United States Justice Department; Reaction from the pharmaceutical producers.

Reports on the scrutiny faced by the pharmacy benefit companies that manage drug coverage for most working Americans in the U.S. Accusation of the Justice Department to Medco Health Solutions Inc. in relation to its transaction with Oxford Health Plans inc.; Assertion of Medco and Oxford to the issue; Reaction of pharmacy benefit manager towards the drug plan.

Discusses the U.S. Congress' decision to add tax breaks for health savings accounts to the new Medicare law. How consumers will be able to obtain relatively inexpensive health insurance policies with high deductibles combined with savings accounts; Observation that two of the nation's biggest insurance companies, UnitedHealth Group and Aetna, are seizing the opportunity; View of some Wall Street analysts that the accounts are a threat to the existing health care system; Implications of the new accounts for current health insurers; Why the accounts have long been a goal of conservative lawmakers and academics.

Reports on the victory of lawyers for doctors in a lawsuit against managed-care companies in the U.S. Approval of the doctors' right to seek damages under the federal antiracketeering law; List of the defendants; Rejection of the motions by the companies to dismiss the doctors' claims under the antiracketeering.

Reports on the agreement of the board of directors of HealthSouth Corp. to the removal of a number of its board members in the U.S. Factors influencing the approval of the board; Citations of the directors who agreed to depart; Plans of board chairman Joel C. Gordon for the restructuring process.

Reports that health policy experts are predicting that the most politically fragile feature of the Medicare legislation passed by the U.S. Congress -- its attempt to make the federal Medicare program compete with private managed-care plans -- is also the least likely to come to fruition on the seven-year schedule set in the bill. Claims by experts that similar plans have failed to find support among patients, doctors and hospitals; Claim that many people enrolled in Medicare fear they will end up with less generous benefits in a privately run program; Background on previous attempts at experimenting with competition among Medicare H.M.O.'s; Comments by health policy expert Robert D. Reischauer; Comments by other experts and members of the health care industry.

Reports on the AARP and the influence of the baby boomers on the retirement group. Comments from William D. Novelli, the CEO who is pleased with the Senate's passage of prescription drug legislation; Shift in philosophy of the retiree group as it attracts younger clients; Displeasure from some of the 35 million members; Input into the legislation design by the board of the AARP; Anger over how the group came to the conclusion to endorse the bill without consulting membership; Charge that the AARP approved the plan on order to advance its insurance business; History of the group.

Reports on critics' complaints regarding the American Association of Retired Persons' (AARP) financial stakes in the Medicare bill being considered by the U.S. Congress in November 2003. National Community Pharmacists Association's argument that the AARP has an inherent conflict of interest based on income from health insurance products sold to AARP members; Retail pharmacies' objections to many provisions of the bill.

Focuses on a plan by General Electric's plan to spin off most of its life insurance and mortgage insurance business in 2004. The company's struggle to climb back to double-digit earnings growth; Details of the plan, including the sale of a percentage of the independent company to the public; Comments of GE's chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt; Observation that the market for initial public offerings seems to be gaining momentum.

Reports the statement by critics of the Medicare plan devised by Congressional leaders that the plan will not cut costs of drugs and medical services in the United States. Prescription drug benefit for the disabled and the elderly; Comments from consumer groups; Benefits that rural hospitals and doctors would ream from the bill.

Reports that a United States federal judge will be imposing sentences on several former HealthSouth Corp. employees who have manipulated the company's books. Defense lawyers and prosecutors' objection against the timing of the sentencing ahead of a trial.

Announces the indictment of former HealthSouth chief Richard Scrushy. Scrushy as the mastermind behind the multibillion-dollar scheme to defraud investors by inflating the profits of HealthSouth; Not-guilty plea that Scrushy entered in Federal District Court in Birmingham, Alabama; Thoughts on the case from experts of white-collar crime; Number of HealthSouth executives and accounting managers who will testify against him in court.

Reports on the expected indictment of Richard M. Scrushy, the former chief executive and founder of HealthSouth. Charges brought by the Justice Department including securities fraud and others; Reports of inflated profits by HealthSouth; Guilty pleas from 14 former financial aides; Comments from Scrushy's lawyer; Meeting between Scrushy's lawyers and Justice Department lawyers in Birmingham, Alabama.

Reports on the proposed merger between U.S.-based health insurance companies WellPoint Health Networks and Anthem Inc. Details of the merger deal; Developments affecting the health insurance market; Background on the career of Leonard D. Schaeffer, CEO of WellPoint Health Networks.

Studies the merger of Blue Cross giants, with Anthem, Inc. buying WellPoint Health Networks for $16.4 billion in stock and cash. Creation of the nation's largest health insurer; Acquisition of Mid Atlantic Medical Services by rival industry leader UnitedHealth; Competition between the two giants for national employers; Conditions and concerns regarding the merger.

Reports on the rising costs of health care and the efforts by companies to shift more of the burden on employees. Number of people without employer-provided health coverage; Blame for reduction in Medicare coverage on soaring drug costs; Arguments for raising prices from insurance companies and health care economists; How the expense of prescription drugs adds to the health care crisis; How different companies are changing their health plan coverage.

Reports on accusations of fraud against Medco Health Solutions. Charges by the United States attorney in Philadephia that a former senior executive lied to investigators to cover up financial fraud in the mail-order drug program for millions of federal employees; List of alleged wrong doings; Response from the company on the charges; Service provided by Medco; Charges the company put profitability over the welfare of its clients.

Discusses the efforts of federal prosecutors to investigate the role of Richard M. Scrushy, former chief executive of HealthSouth, in cases of accounting fraud. How fourteen of Scrushy's former associates have pleaded guilty to charges of fraud; Possibility that Scrushy will use his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself; Consideration of an interview that Scrushy gave to the television show '60 Minutes'; Efforts of the government investigators to keep track of Scrushy's assets on the Internet.

Reports on the health care mandate to be signed by California Governor Gray Davis into law that requires employers to provide health benefits for their workers amid the rise in the ranks of the uninsured as of September 2003.

Discusses the rising costs for employees who pay for a percentage of their health care through employer-sponsored health plans. Speculation about the cost of health care in 2004; Consideration of labor negotiations in the U.S; Rise in spending for insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-payments for drugs; Status of the cost of spending for hospitals and doctors.

Discusses the possibility of a merger between drug benefit managers Caremark Rx and AdvancePCS. Suggestion that problems may arise from the narrowing of competition; Announcement that Caremark agreed to purchase Advance; How the merger will effect Caremark shares; Consideration of how disease management programs will promote new growth in revenues; Role of chief executives Mac Crawford and David D. Halbert; Losses in profits in drug benefit management.

Reports that doctors and hospitals in the United States are attempting to satisfy the growing demand for surgery that shrinks the stomachs of severely obese people. Addition of special operating suites for bariatric surgery; Notable uses of this surgery among celebrities; Expected increase in these surgeries in 2003; Benefits and risks of bariatric surgery.

Discusses medicare legislation before the U.S. Congress. Movement in Congress to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare; Threat that the legislation poses to the way many of the largest pharmacy benefit managers do business; Bills that would force the companies to disclose details of the deal they make with drug manufacturers to promote the sale of expensive new drugs; Details of the legislation; Criticism of the plans.

Reports that rehabilitation and surgical center chain HealthSouth Corporation has requested more time from creditors, in an effort to stave off bankruptcy. Discovery of more evidence of possible accounting fraud; HealthSouth's attempt to seek agreement with creditors on a business strategy; Views of analysts; Rise in HealthSouth's shares; Background on the accounting fraud uncovered by regulators; Outlook.

Examines how the bills to provide drug benefits through Medicare passed by the U.S. House and Senate shift some of the burden of soaring drug costs to the federal government. How the bills would allow employers to create Medicare-subsidized managed care organizations that offer drug benefits and subsidies for employers that maintain drug coverage; Debate over how to discourage companies from dropping retiree health benefits completely; Costs; Implications for the health insurance industry.

Reports the accusation of the U.S. Department of Justice against Medco Health Solutions for cheating the health plan of federal employees.

Reports on the campaign of large employers headed by Ford Motor, Honeywell, General Mills and PepsiCo to encourage overweight workers to slim down as a way to improve personal health and corporate bottom line.

Reports on the plan of the California Public Employees' Retirement System to increase the premiums for its members insured by health maintenance organizations.

Reports that U.S. companies have increased employee co-payments for drugs in their health plans. Consideration of a government-subsidized drug benefit for 40 million people enrolled in Medicare; How health plans have eased restrictions on hospital care and visits to doctors; Requirement of certain health plans that written authorization is needed from a doctor before they will agree to pay anything for prescription alternatives to the allergy drug Claritin; Views from Kenneth Sperling, a health care expert with Hewitt Associates, a consulting firm.

Reports on the acquisition of Cobalt Corp. by WellPoint Health Networks in June 2003.

Reports on the decrease in spending on prescription drugs in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2003.

Reports on the story of Dr. Linda Peeno, a former medical reviewer for Humana, who says that her life was transformed by the price of a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti. Finding that the sculpture was about the same price as a heart transplant; Price that the company paid for the sculpture; Trial in which Peeno was ordered to disclose how she learned of the price of the statue; Identification of the source as Clarence Jones, a Humana official and the brother of David A. Jones, the company's chairman; Peeno's criticism of managed care.

Features Alice H. Martin, a U.S. attorney in Birmingham, Alabama.

Reports the ruling of a federal judge in a case against Richard M. Scrushy, former chief executive officer at HealthSouth.

Reports on the price of the allergy drug Claritin, made by Schering-Plough. Dependence of millions of Americans on the medicine to help control allergy symptoms; Availability of the drug without a prescription as of 2003; Comparison of the drug's cost to patients through a prescription versus over the counter.

Reports on the financial performance of U.S. health insurer Oxford Health Plans in the first quarter of 2003.

Reports on the possibility that hospital company HealthSouth will file for bankruptcy in the summer of 2003.

Focuses on insurers that proposed plans for providing health insurance to uninsured citizens in the U.S. as of April 24, 2003.

Focuses on Richard M. Scrushy, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of HealthSouth Corp. Weekly meetings held by Scrushy; How HealthSouth became the nation's largest chain of rehabilitation hospitals and clinics; Legal problems faced by the company; Reasons why HealthSouth is now struggling to avoid filing for bankruptcy.

Reports on operations at Capstone Capital Corp., a real estate investment trust co-founded by disgraced HealthSouth Corp. chief executive Richard M. Scrushy. Probability that his profit-earning activities at the REIT will be investigated; Details of a United States securities investigation into charges that he fraudulently inflated earnings at HealthSouth; Reliance of Capstone on companies associated with Scrushy; Amount of money he has earned from the Capstone.

Reports on the secretly recorded conversation between Richard M. Scrushy and William T. Owens, former chief executive officer and chief financial officer of HealthSouth, played on April 10, 2003 in Federal District Court in Birmingham, Alabama.

Reports that as HealthSouth continues to struggle to avoid bankruptcy, U.S. federal officials charged another former senior executive of the company with participating in a multibillion-dollar accounting fraud. Refusal of Chief Judge U.W. Clemon in a district court in Birmingham, Alabama to accept a guilty plea from Michael D. Martin, the former chief financial officer of HealthSouth; Contention by Clemon that Martin's case had infringed on the court's scheduling prerogatives when she announced that Martin would become the ninth company official in this case to plead guilty.

Reports that the health insurance industry has opposed the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on managed health plans in the country.