Health Insurance Industry News

Coverage of recent developments in the healthcare and health insurance industry.

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• Area Pediatrician Offers Alternative to Health Insurance for Basic Healthcare  (Apr 10, 2008) - Concierge medical service is a new approach that some family physicians are offering their patients. Far from an "alternative" to health insurance, this approach to medical care is seen as a throw back to the old days when doctors knew and spent time with all of their patients.
• Report Finds Health Insurance Reforms By Leading Democratic Candidates Lacking  (Jan 15, 2008) - A report by the Physicians for a Nation Health Program looked at the health insurance reforms proposed by leading democratic candidates and found that they were very similar and largely ineffective in providing affordable health insurance.
• Life Imitating Art? Was Clinton Hostage Taker Driven by Lack of Medical Insurance  (Jan 13, 2008) - Leeland Eisenberg, the individual that took a Clinton campaign office hostage, may have been motivated by his trouble in obtaining health insurance.
• Politicos Shouldn't Talk Health Insurance Reform Without Talking About Disparities in Healthcare  (Jan 11, 2008) - The national dialogue over healthcare reform has focused more on access to the system than the quality of the care provided, which many believe should be the real concern.
• Senators Bob Bennett and Ron Wyden Offer Bipartisan Solution to Health Insurance Ills  (Jan 09, 2008) - Utah's Bob Bennett a Republican, and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon, have offered up a bipartisan solution that sounds like it takes a little bit from everybody's proposals on health insurance reform. It is called the Healthy Americans Act, and like any real ground breaking reform, instead of pandering to one side of the aisle or special interests, it looks at what is best from many sides.
• Health Insurers See Benefit to Industry in Some Plans for Universal Coverage  (Jan 07, 2008) - There is a mistaken belief that the health insurance industry, with their deep pockets and strong lobbyist, are opposed to Universal Health Coverage. The reality is that all but a few proposed reforms would likely benefit the insurance companies.
• Health Savings Accounts Bound to Become More Popular in '08, Say Experts  (Dec 31, 2007) - Experts are projecting continued steady growth in the number of Health Savings Accounts opened by health insurance consumers. Such accounts offer great tax and retirement benefits.
• Consumer Alert: Health Insurance Scams on the Rise  (Dec 18, 2007) - 2007 showed a marked increase in health insurance fraud, especially fraud related to Medicare, which targeted the most susceptible segment of the U.S. population--the elderly.
• Program Helps Baby Boomers Get Affordable Health Insurance  (Nov 30, 2007) - GO Health, a program design by fitness guru Lesley Stein helps baby boomers get into shape and qualify for lower cost health insurance by exhibiting healthy behaviors.
• Third Quarter Profits High for Popular Health Insurance Company  (Nov 29, 2007) - Cigna announced record profits for the third quarter, but warmed that it would still not meet analysts expactations for 2008.
• PPO's Gaining Popularity Among Health Insurance Consumers  (Nov 28, 2007) - Despite a push by government and employers towards consumer-drive health plans such as health savings accounts and high-deductible health insurance policies, the majority of insured Americans are choosing PPO's as their preferred health plan type.
• AMA Continues to Present its Ideas for Health Insurance Reforms  (Nov 27, 2007) - The AMA is dedicating a substantial portion of their marketing budget to promote its ideas for healthcare reform.
• Too Many US Vets Lack Health Insurance  (Nov 21, 2007) - President Bush enacted changes to the eligibility guidelines for veterans that increased the number of uninsured vets by 1.8 million, adding to an already distressing problem.f
• McCain Still Adamantly Opposed to Mandated Health Insurance  (Nov 21, 2007) - Presidential hopeful John McCain has a proposal for health insurance reform aimed at employers who offer group plans, but remains opposed to any kind of universal health insurance requirement.
• Americans Just as Interested in Convenient Healthcare as Low Cost Health Insurance  (Nov 19, 2007) - Convenience is becoming an important influence on American's choice for how they receive medical care. A growing number of in-store clinics, which are open late and on weekends, are attracting individuals with and without health insurance for basic healthcare needs.
• Joe Bidden Reveals His Medical Insurance Reform Plan  (Nov 13, 2007) - Presidential hopeful, Joe Bidden, has outlined his proposal for healthcare reform, saying he plans to make it one of the top priorities in his First 100 Days.
• Settlement On Healthcare Benefits Between GM and Workers Misses Mark On Drugs  (Oct 30, 2007) - The dispute between GM and the UAW has been settled, but not to the complete satisfaction of the AFL-CIO, which sent a letter to the SEC pointing out connections between GM board members and pharmaceutical companies that maintained their approval status for brand named drugs even though comparable generics were available.
• A Dividend of Universal Health Insurance: Some Stocks Likely to Do Well  (Oct 28, 2007) - In all of the talk about who will benefit from universal health coverage, both sides of the argument have been fairly quiet about the companies that will benefit from such a system.
• As State Health Insurance Reforms Falter – Maybe it is Time for Federal Solution  (Sep 21, 2007) - Many states are tackling the issue of universal health care at the state level. The experiment in Massachusetts has yet to reach a point where results can be evaluated and even if the program proves successful, it may not translate to other states where the percentage of poor and uninsured is higher.
• Independent Pharmacists Seek More Bargaining Power for Medicare Reimbursements  (Sep 20, 2007) - Small, community pharmacies are hoping that the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act, a bill before Congress, will pass, allowing them to ban together and collectively bargain with pharmacy benefit managers for lower drug prices that are on par with the prices charged to giant chains like Walmart and CVS.
• Lower Health Insurance Costs Alone Will Not Significantly Increase Number of Uninsured  (Sep 19, 2007) - A recent study published in Health Service Research identifies several reasons, other than cost, that prevent individuals from obtaining health insurance, giving credence to the idea that a government mandate requiring health insurance may be the only way to ensure health insurance for everyone.
• Streaming Credentialing Process Saves Health Insurers Time and Money  (Sep 18, 2007) - The Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare has released a promising report showing that their process for maintaining credentials in a single database available to healthcare providers and insurers has decreased man-hours and cost overhead dramatically and that more and more organizations are using the service.
• American Cancer Society Tackles Growing Problem of the Uninsured  (Sep 17, 2007) - In a departure from their normal attack on cancer-causing activities such as smoking, the American Cancer Society is allocating a sizable amount of its advertising budget to highlight the problem of limited access to affordable healthcare and health insurance.
• One of Nation's Largest Insurers Takes Aim at Discrimination in Health Insurance  (Sep 12, 2007) - Aetna has established the Racial and Ethnic Equality Advisory Committee to address the need for improved quality of care for racial and ethnic minority members of its healthplans. The committee has initiated a number of studies designed to assess the disparity in care and access to affordable health insurance faced by minorities.
• Underinsurance Almost as Big a Problem as no Health Insurance Coverage at All  (Sep 11, 2007) - A survey conducted this past May by Consumer Reports to a look at health insurance coverage in America from the viewpoint of the American people, providing a picture of the nations healthcare system as seen by the average citizen, both insured and uninsured. The survey found that 'underinsurance' was almost as big a problem as no insurance at all.
• Chances of Health Insurance Reform Bill Passing May be Improving  (Sep 07, 2007) - A proposed health insurance reform bill that was originally given little chance of passing through Congress, seems to have gained renewed support. The Healthy Americans Act bill proposed by Senator Bob Bennett, tries to combine the concepts of a single-payer, government-sponsored system with the current free market system, a hybrid that is likely responsible for its current support.
• New Online Program Launches to Help Consumers Better Manage Healthcare Expenses  (Sep 07, 2007) - A new online tool is offering subscribers to high deductible health insurance plans paired with health savings accounts to better manage their healthcare expenses and HSA account funds. One key feature of the service allows users to compare their cost for medical services with the costs paid by other users for the same service in their area.
• Nursing Organizations Urge Candidates to Consider Single-Payer Health Insurance Reform  (Sep 06, 2007) - The California Nurses Association, along with two other groups, has produced a series of ads urging Presidential candidates to back a single-payer universal healthcare system. The groups cite several reports that show that other proposed healthcare reforms are not the answer and that only a single-payer system will adequately meet the needs of Americans.
• HealthInsuranceFinders.com Launches Video Contest for Young Directors  (Sep 04, 2007) - Health Insurance Finders launched a video contest today in an effort to build awareness about the benefit of knowing your options when it comes to choosing health insurance. The contest winner will receive a grand prize of $3,000.
• Humana Introduces New Healthcare Plan Options in Several States  (Aug 28, 2007) - Humana has revamped their Humana One line of private insurance plans to meet the growing demand for affordable, flexible health plans. The line of health insurance products has been redesigned to meet the varying needs of groups such as families, small business owners, the self-employed, young workers and retirees.
• Clinton Outlines Plan to Curtail Rampant Fraud in Long Term Care Insurance  (Aug 28, 2007) - Senator Hillary Clinton has proposed a bill aimed at cutting down on fraud in the long-term health insurance industry, where seniors and low-income individuals are sometimes lured into policies with low initial premiums and then left uninsured when the rate are dramatically increased at a later time.
• A Bipartisan Universal Healthcare Bill is in The US Senate  (Aug 24, 2007) - Senator Ron Wyden of Washington State has introduced the Healthy Americans Act in the U.S. Senate with the support of Senators from both sides of the aisle. Wyden said that the bill is closely modeled after a the healthcare plan enjoyed by members of Congress.
• Health Insurance Helps Early Detection of Cancer  (Jun 13, 2007) - Persons with high deductible health plans are less likely to seek routine health care and annual physical exams than those persons with more comprehensive health plans that provide coverage for routine physician visits for a low copayment amount.
• Presidental Candidate Obama Announces Health Insurance Plan  (Jun 06, 2007) - Paying for Senator Obama's health care plan, which is estimated to cost taxpayers in excess of $50 billion each year, would primarily be accomplished by reducing the tax cuts to the wealthiest segement of the U.S. population. A portion of these funds would be used to improve the medical records recording and sharing technologies that are currently being utilized by most health insurance companies and health care providers.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Texas Renews Contract With Tenet Healthcare  (Jun 05, 2007) - For a hospital to be an in-network provider for an insurance company, they must reach an agreement on the negotiated rates that the hospital will charge to active members of that health plan. The hospitals want to charge rates that are usual and customary, while the insurance companies want negotiated rates to be as low as possible so they can pass the savings on to their plan members by offering lower monthly premiums.
• Michael More Film Addresses Problems With U.S. Health Care System  (May 24, 2007) - Although the newest Michael Moore film, Sicko, makes a valid argument as to why the U.S. health care system is in need of improvement, no sollution to this problem is addressed. Making sure that all Americans have health insurance and access to quality health care can't be argued, but reaching this goal could have consequences that are unpredictable and need to be considered before such a drastic change can be implemented in this country.
• Major Companies Unite for Health Care Reform  (May 08, 2007) - The Coalition to Advance Healthcare Reform wants a market-based health care system that provides universal coverage and individual responsibilities. For those that are unable to afford health insurance, the Coalition believes that financial assistance should be provided to them in order to obtain coverage.
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Opens Health Care Comparison Website  (May 03, 2007) - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield are providing resources to their health plan members that will encourage them to seek our proper medical care by providing them with an online comparison tool that will allow them to research costs of treatments from various physicians that participate in the Anthem network.
• Tenet Healthcare Settles Civil Lawsuit for $10 Million  (Apr 10, 2007) - Tenet Healthcare Corporation, one of the largest medical providers in the country, was accused of Medicare fraud in 2003 for fraudently billing. The lawsuit was settled last week for $10 million.
• AMA Reports Shows Follow-Up Care Lacking Even for Insured  (Mar 22, 2007) - With so many health plans today having high-deductibles, even those that are insured will avoid follow-up treatments because they will incur all of the expense until their plan deductible has been met. Follow-up care is often recommended by physicians for patients that have suffered an illness or an injury.
• Health Care Spending Expected to Double in Next 10 Years  (Feb 27, 2007) - When the cost of health care rises, so does the amount that small businesses, individuals and families must pay to maintain medical insurance. They are forced to move to higher deductible health plans that required them to pay greater out-of-pocket amounts annually toward medical expenses.
• John Edwards Announces Health Care Plan  (Feb 14, 2007) - John Edwards' proposal focuses on making obtaining medical insurance mandatory for all Americans and placing tax penalties on employers that do not offer group health insurance that would be used to fund state-sponsored health plans that would provide coverage to those that are unable to afford it.
• Michelle's Law Introduced to U.S. Senate  (Feb 02, 2007) - If a full-time college student does not remain enrolled in college, regardless of the reason, they can be removed from the parent's insurance policy. This applies even if the child becomes ill and is unable to attend school because of a serious medical condition. Hew Hampshire is one of the few states where medical leave is allowed without losing coverage or being forced on to COBRA coverage.
• President Bush Joins the Healthcare Crisis Bandwagon  (Jan 26, 2007) - The President's healthcare proposal included suggested improvements in several areas that could lower the cost of health care in the United States. These included tax incentives, medical malpractice regulations, improved HSA benefits and the expansion of Association Health Plans.
• Federal Bill Could Assist States in Healthcare Reforms  (Jan 25, 2007) - Several members of Congress have proposed a bill that would provide federal funding to states willing to experiment with healthcare reform. The ultimate goal of this legislation is to apply what is learned from state reform to a federal healthcare policy.
• Medicare Drug Bill Passes House  (Jan 19, 2007) - Under Medicare Part D, drug price negotiations are currently the responsibility of the various health insurance companies that offer the Medicare Part D plan. However, with the gap in drug benefits when medication costs reach an the annual benefit guideline, the full cost of these negotiated prices become the responsibility of the Medicare recipient.
• Senator Kennedy Calls for a Nationwide Universal Health Plan  (Jan 18, 2007) - Senator Kennedy is calling for this issue to be addressed on a federal law and has suggested that our current Medicare system to be converted into a universal health care program in which all citizens of the country could obtain, regardless of age.