HEALTH
More money spent on care in richer communities than poor ones
The Massachusetts health insurance market has an income inequality problem, according to a report from Attorney General Maura Healey’s office, whose findings mirror national studies. The analysis found that more health care dollars are spent on higher-income communities than on lower-income communities — even though the latter tend to have greater medical needs. Healey’s office called this a “distressing’’ trend that has persisted for years. The report said several factors may contribute to the spending disparities. They are at least partly explained by the variation in prices at Massachusetts hospitals, the report said. Some hospitals charge much more than others for the same common services, such as MRIs and maternity care. Wealthier people tend to use higher-priced hospitals, so more money is spent on their care, the report said. A more troubling reason for the spending inequities is that people from lower-income communities may be forgoing health care because they have trouble accessing transportation, can’t take time off from work, or can’t afford to pay the deductibles and co-payments required under their insurance plans. High-deductible plans require consumers to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket when they use medical services, on top of paying their monthly premiums. — PRIYANKA DAYAL MCCLUSKEY
HOUSING RENTALS
Large chunk of Airbnb’s revenue comes from longer-term rentals in Boston area
Airbnb Inc. made a large slice of its money in the Boston area from properties that were rented for six months or longer in the past year, dwarfing the earnings of small-time casual hosts who are the face of the $30 billion online rental service’s lobbying campaign in Massachusetts, data released by the company show. Data provided to the Globe show that just over 10 percent of Airbnb rentals in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville were occupied by renters for a total of six months or more over a 12-month period through August, but generated 37 percent of revenue paid to Airbnb hosts in that period. That money was generated by a small rental pool: 766 units, split about evenly between private rooms and entire homes or apartments. Airbnb didn’t identify the individual units, and it’s unclear how many were already short-term rentals before the listing service came along. Airbnb did say some fraction of those units were likely boutique hotels or bed-and-breakfast inns, rather than residential homes. The company collects a percentage of each rental, both from the host and the renter. Still, some local lawmakers have raised concerns that Airbnb and similar services are helping property owners remove permanent housing from an already tight market and disrupting residential neighborhoods. The Legislature is considering several measures.Airbnb has said it is willing to collect hotel taxes on its rentals, and also signaled a willingness to accept some new regulations — so long as they do not deter casual hosts from renting out their homes. — CURT WOODWARD
ONLINE RETAIL
Amazon accused of illegally dismissing minority drivers over background checks
A local civil rights group on Wednesday accused Amazon.com of illegally using criminal background checks as the sole basis for firing dozens of Boston-area delivery drivers, most of them black and Latino. In an open letter to Jeff Bezos, the online retailing giant’s chief executive, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice said Amazon in early August instructed its contractors that provide delivery services to immediately “deactivate’’ any drivers whose background checks didn’t meet the company’s requirements. The advocacy group claimed a Boston-area delivery contractor dismissed between 30 and 40 drivers as a result of Amazon’s “background check audit,’’ even though many of those drivers had only minor offenses in the distant past. Because of longstanding racial inequities in the criminal justice system, the advocates argued, Amazon’s policy effectively discriminated against nonwhite drivers. In a statement, Amazon said, “Safety and customer trust are our top priorities, which is why we have always required delivery service providers to conduct comprehensive background checks for their employee drivers.’’ The company added that its background checks are “focused on job-related criminal and motor vehicle convictions and [do] not consider race, gender, ethnicity,religion or other protected characteristics.’’ — DAN ADAMS
INDUSTRY
GE backs away from plan to demolish elevated walkway in Fort Point
General Electric has reversed course on a plan to tear down an elevated walkway attached to an old warehouse that will become part of its headquarters complex in Fort Point. The decision follows lobbying from local activists who argued their new corporate neighbor should keep the structure in place. A GE spokeswoman, Susan Bishop, said the company had a change of heart after opposition from neighbors prompted Boston Mayor Martin Walsh to intervene. “After listening to the feedback from the community, we recognized the bridge is an important part of the neighborhood,’’ Bishop said. The century-old structure is several stories above ground and connects a warehouse that GE will use with a neighboring building owned by real estate investment firm Synergy Investments. Both were once used by the New England Confectionery Co. The bridge is over an alley, Necco Court, and is somewhat secluded and tucked away between the two buildings. Bishop characterized the elevated walkway as in “severe disrepair’’ that will cost more than $1 million to fix. GE has already pledged to keep a separate, smaller pedestrian bridge that connects with a third Necco building. — ADAM VACCARO AND JON CHESTO
HOME HEALTH CARE
Second Mass. provider transfers hundreds of patients
A second home health provider is transferring hundreds of patients after a fraud investigation led the state to cut off Medicaid payments to the company. The disruption affects about 800 patients who were served by Avenue Homecare Services Inc. of Lawrence. It started transferring patients in late September, following a decision by officials at the state’s Medicaid program, called MassHealth, to stop paying the company in August. Suspecting fraudulent behavior, MassHealth referred the company to the attorney general’s office in June 2015. More than a year later, MassHealth stopped payments after the attorney general’s office said doing that would no longer compromise its investigation. Attorney General Maura Healey’s office declined to comment, and MassHealth officials did not detail the allegations, except to say that Avenue allegedly used inappropriate tactics to expand its business, including trying to disenroll seniors from a managed care program and seeking to add them as customers. The company’s executives did not return several phone calls requesting comment. It is the second home health company that MassHealth has stopped paying. The other is Compassionate Homecare Inc. in Worcester, which was indicted last week for allegedly filing false claims and bilking the state of more than $800,000. Compassionate also transferred its patients earlier this year after the state cut off its payments. — PRIYANKA DAYAL MCCLUSKEY
TECHNOLOGY
Now you can ask Alexa how much your car insurance will cost
Alexa has started talking finance — and banks, insurance companies, and investment firms are all listening. Amazon’s voice-activated Echo may have started as a nifty gadget that provided weather updates and recited hit songs from 1985 in the soothing tones of Alexa, the company’s version of Siri. But Alexa is increasingly being programmed to take on more complex tasks of a virtual assistant and creeping into territory once reserved for bank tellers and insurance agents. Want to pay a bill? Get insurance quotes? Or check your brokerage accounts? Alexa can do all that from the cylindrical-shaped Echo device on your kitchen counter or bedside table. Last month, Boston-based Liberty Mutual programmed some of its insurance services onto the Echo, allowing consumers to locate a nearby insurance agent, get an estimate for auto insurance, or learn how to keep their auto and home premiums down. Fidelity Investments is letting customers check their account balances by speaking with Alexa. Virginia-based Capital One earlier this year let its customers pay their mortgage and car loans using Alexa. And FIS, a Florida company that provides technology for hundreds of banks, is piloting similar Alexa-compatible technology across the country, including in Massachusetts, that it plans to release next year. — DEIRDRE FERNANDES
