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wbjournal.com | March 20, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 9 Corporate events by design. Peppers creates complete and extraordinary experiences, refl ecting your organization's unique vision and personality. • Talented teams in Culinary Arts, Cake Art, Art Bar, and Art & Design collaborating to craft a lasting impression. • Experience in meticulously planning, managing and executing events of every size and style with an eye on both the big picture and the smallest detail. • Dedicated craftsmanship and culinary talent that makes your event a true original and leaves your guests feeling part of something special. Contact our event specialists to create your one-of-a-kind occasion today. PeppersCatering.com 508.393.6844 Photo by Imagery Studio Commission's (HPC) annual cost trends hearing in order to examine increases in prescription drug costs, and for the HPC to have more authority over merg- ers of healthcare providers. Since December 2013, there have been 72 notices of mergers and affiliations filed with the HPC, and just a handful have gone through a full review. Fallon refocuses Fallon executives declined requests for an interview for this story but, after posting an operating loss of $28.6 million and a net loss of $20.1 million on March 1, CEO Richard Burke said in a statement the company is working to aggressively manage administrative expenses. One step Fallon has taken to refocus the business is the recent sale of Home Staff, the home health business Fallon owned with VNA Care Network. Wattu said the sale has allowed Fallon to free up resources to invest in initiatives that align better with its core products. Wattu said Fallon has negotiated smarter vendor contracts and invested in new technology for better integra- tion of the core systems. The company is also trying to make healthcare deliv- ery for members more efficient. "We're … pursuing additional oppor- tunities to work with members and their healthcare providers to ensure the most appropriate care is being deliv- ered at the right time and in the right setting. Emergency room visits, special- ty drugs and earlier identification of high-risk members are just a few of the things on which we are focusing our efforts," Wattu said. Though Fallon laid off 45 employees in the summer of 2015, Wattu said the company is now adding positions to support its growing government and senior care programs, which will con- tinue to grow as the population ages. ACA replacement a factor? Coinciding with the losses by Fallon was the release of an Affordable Care Act replacement bill by Congressional Republicans on March 6, which would repeal the penalty that people have to pay if they don't health insurance. Wattu said it is too early to predict how a replacement bill will impact Fallon, and Umesh Kurpad, chief financial officer at Tufts Health Plan, said he doubts the bill would have a substantial impact, as written, at least in the immediate future. Tufts saw increased utilization in its commercial and Medicaid lines in 2016, which contributed to an operat- ing loss. Yet, Kurpad noted the compa- ny's net income was in the black and is focusing on better systems integration, diverse portfolios and contracts with a risk-based component to encourage providers to be efficient. "We're on to 2017. We're not looking back," Kurpad said. W