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Passing Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act will break monopoly power of some health insurers

"This vote is an important step towards breaking the monopoly power of some health insurers," responded Dr. Stuart Bussey, President of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists, to the news of a vote taken Wednesday by the US House of Representatives.

26 Feb 2010

Lack of chemistry between Obama and GOP leaders could strain summit; Gingrich urges series of smaller bills

The New York Times reports on a lack of chemistry between President Barack Obama and leading Republicans such as Rep. John A. Boehner, the House Republican leader, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

26 Feb 2010

House passes bill to repeal antitrust exemption for health insurers

he House passed legislation Wednesday (406-19) to strip health insurers of their federal antitrust exemption.

26 Feb 2010

Connecticut has especially high insurance hikes, disability advocates worry about Medicaid cuts in Tennessee

The Hartford Courant: "With average rate hikes at 13 percent or more this year for most plans, Connecticut health insurance premiums appear to be rising faster than the nation's. A typical family plan in Connecticut sold through an employer costs about $14,500 -- an estimate based on the Kaiser Family Foundation's report on 2009 prices and this year's rates of growth.

25 Feb 2010

Bipartisanship unlikely after health summit; Party unity Obama's next best bet

Democratic and Republican lawmakers each have an opportunity to make bipartisan concessions during Thursday's summit - like warming to malpractice reform or publicly conceding Democratic plans would ultimately lower the deficit, respectively - but political pressure will likely push both sides towards their partisan ranks, Politico reports.

25 Feb 2010

APHA: Congressional leaders have to move forward on health reform focusing prevention and wellness

As President Obama and congressional leaders meet today for a health reform summit, the American Public Health Association urges them to move forward on comprehensive, affordable health reform with a focus on prevention and wellness.

25 Feb 2010

Beyond Blair House: Discussion of public option, 'Cadillac tax' continue

As lawmakers and President Obama discuss health care at the Blair House summit, news reports ply two policy issues in the latest overhaul proposal, the public option and the "Cadillac tax."

25 Feb 2010

WellPoint executive defends premium increases at congressional hearing

In a congressional hearing Wednesday, an insurance company executive justified proposed premium increases and warned "that pending legislation" could make the problem of high medical costs worse. "The executive, Angela F. Braly, president of WellPoint, made the comments in testimony prepared for a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee," The New York Times reports.

25 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 25, 2010

Today's news is all about today's White House health summit -- with highlights of how WellPoint got grilled about proposed premium rate increases during a congressional hearing and how the House voted to repeal insurers' antitrust exemption.

25 Feb 2010

Consumer Watchdog: Insurers’ finances should be examined for unjustified profit transfers and suspect contracting

The House subcommittee grilling Blue Cross chief executive Angela Braly today should expand its financial examination of Blue Cross and its parent, WellPoint, to include billions of dollars in dividend transfers and no-bid "service contracts" with affiliate companies, said Consumer Watchdog.

25 Feb 2010

FEHBP's H.R. 4489 overhaul will undermine cost-saving tools and disrupt prescription drug benefits

“Regrettably, the FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act (H.R. 4489) would undermine many of the cost-saving tools used in FEHBP and disrupt prescription drug benefits for 8 million federal employees, retirees, and their families.”

25 Feb 2010

Obama’s version of healthcare reform will not reduce Medicare fraud, says IPI expert

Although Republicans will meet with President Obama tomorrow for a health care summit -- supposedly to negotiate a bipartisan agreement for health care reform -- Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) health care expert Dr. Merrill Matthews says the president's plan does nothing to appease the other side of the aisle

25 Feb 2010

Nancy Pelosi speaks in support of Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act

Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor today in support of H.R. 4626, the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act, which passed by a overwhelming bipartisan vote of 406 to 19. Below are the Speaker's remarks.

25 Feb 2010

Health insurance premium discussion: HHS Secretary invites insurance company CEOs

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today invited insurance company chief executive officers to a March 3 meeting at HHS to discuss their companies’ insurance premiums. The CEOs of UnitedHealth Group Inc., WellPoint Inc., Aetna Inc., Health Care Service Corporation and CIGNA HealthCare Inc. along with leaders from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners have been invited.

25 Feb 2010

State legislators decry their exclusion from health reform summit

State sponsors of the nationwide effort to block a government requirement to purchase health insurance today sent a letter to President Obama decrying their exclusion from tomorrow's bipartisan health reform summit.

25 Feb 2010

Consumer Watchdog calls Obama Administration and Congress to adopt California's insurance rate regulation

The consumer group that pioneered the most successful insurance premium regulation law in the nation, California's Proposition 103, today said only the extension of such "prior approval" regulation to health insurance can begin to make insurance affordable in the wake of double digit premium increases that have dramatically out-paced wages.

25 Feb 2010

Missouri lawmaker proposes changes to control prison health care costs

States struggle with funding health care for inmates, Medicaid cuts and funding health insurance for low-income residents in Minnestoa.

25 Feb 2010

Some Dems think Obama may need to harden his 'gentle' style in pushing for reform

Pushing health care reform through a skittish Democratic caucus while facing strong Republican opposition is testing the White House. "Mr. Obama has not been the sort to bludgeon his party into following his lead or to intimidate reluctant legislators. And while he has often succeeded by relying on Democratic leaders in Congress to do his bidding — the House and Senate, after all, both passed versions of the health legislation last year — it is not clear whether his gentle, consensus-building style will be enough."

25 Feb 2010

House votes to strip insurers' antitrust exemption

The House voted Wednesday - by a broad bipartisan majority of 406-19 - to repeal health insurers' exemption from federal antitrust laws, the Associated Press/Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. Despite siding with Democrats, "Republican lawmakers complained … that the legislation passed Wednesday was largely symbolic and would have little real impact since states already regulate health insurers." Democrats have argued that repealing the exemption would make the industry more competitive (Werner 2/24).

25 Feb 2010

Insurance execs defend rate hikes before Congress

Lawmakers said Anthem Blue Cross, the California insurer that proposed raising premium rates for some individual policyholders by as much as 39 percent, sought to boost profits at the expense of its insured, the Los Angeles Times reports. During a congressional hearing Wednesday, "Democrats said internal documents from [Anthem's parent firm] WellPoint Inc. showed that proposed rate increases of as much as 39% for California customers who buy individual policies would 'return California to a profit of 7%.'"

25 Feb 2010

Health Insurance News and Research

Passing Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act will break monopoly power of some health insurers

Lack of chemistry between Obama and GOP leaders could strain summit; Gingrich urges series of smaller bills

House passes bill to repeal antitrust exemption for health insurers

Connecticut has especially high insurance hikes, disability advocates worry about Medicaid cuts in Tennessee

Bipartisanship unlikely after health summit; Party unity Obama's next best bet

APHA: Congressional leaders have to move forward on health reform focusing prevention and wellness

Beyond Blair House: Discussion of public option, 'Cadillac tax' continue

WellPoint executive defends premium increases at congressional hearing

First Edition: February 25, 2010

Consumer Watchdog: Insurers’ finances should be examined for unjustified profit transfers and suspect contracting

FEHBP's H.R. 4489 overhaul will undermine cost-saving tools and disrupt prescription drug benefits

Obama’s version of healthcare reform will not reduce Medicare fraud, says IPI expert

Nancy Pelosi speaks in support of Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act

Health insurance premium discussion: HHS Secretary invites insurance company CEOs

State legislators decry their exclusion from health reform summit

Consumer Watchdog calls Obama Administration and Congress to adopt California's insurance rate regulation

Missouri lawmaker proposes changes to control prison health care costs

Some Dems think Obama may need to harden his 'gentle' style in pushing for reform

House votes to strip insurers' antitrust exemption

Insurance execs defend rate hikes before Congress

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