Bruce Japsen, Contributor

Amazon’s PillPack is working with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to integrate pharmacy services in the insurer’s app and website in what could be a boon of new customers for the online pharmacy.

The number of U. S. urgent care centers rose 6% to 9,272 in the U. S. as of June of this year compared to 8,774 in 2018, according to the latest tally by the Urgent Care Association, which released a new report on the industry’s rapid growth.

Walgreens Boots Alliance and U. S. grocery Kroger are expanding their relationship to include a new group purchasing organization.

UnitedHealth Group’s Optum unit will buy the specialty pharmacy Diplomat for $300 million and combine it with OptumRx.

Centene chief executive Michael Neidorff remains confident the company’s acquisition of WellCare Health Plans will be completed in the first half of 2020, particularly now that all state regulatory hurdles have been cleared.

Health insurance giant Anthem will continue to invest in data and analytics to improve health outcomes and reduce costs, CEO Gail Boudreaux said at the 2019 Forbes Healthcare Summit.

Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Stefano Pessina said partnerships remain the most cost-effective way for the global drugstore chain to remain competitive and grow in the future.

UnitedHealth Group’s fast-growing Optum healthcare services unit is rolling out what it hopes will be a seamless “city-by-city” effort to make medical care more seamless to patients, Andrew Witty said at the 2019 Forbes Healthcare Summit.

The rapid growth of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum health care services unit will contribute more than 50% of the company’s earnings in 2020, executives disclosed Tuesday.

Worries of thousands of lost jobs loom as the medical technology industry pushes one again for a permanent end to a medical device tax.