Health Insurance News and Research

RSS

States struggle with insurance cost and coverage in Ohio, Rhode Island and Nebraska

The Columbus Dispatch reports that a health-insurance co-operative founded by Tom Rose, a retired businessman from Marietta, Ohio, "hopes to give people who feel alone in the health-care market that power-in-numbers feeling. ... Benefits Unlimited Inc. started in 2007 and started accepting dues-paying members across the nation last month. ... Annual dues range from $25 for an individual or household to $1,500 for employers or associations with 500 or more people.

17 Feb 2010

Health reform pressure points: Excise tax, individual mandate, antitrust legislation

"An agreement to tax high-cost, employer-sponsored health insurance plans, announced with fanfare by the White House and labor unions last month, is losing support from labor leaders, who say the proposal is too high a price to pay for the limited health care package they expect to emerge from Congress," The New York Times reports.

16 Feb 2010

Budget cuts hit health care services in Minnesota, Oklahoma and California

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposal to cut a net of $347 million from programs for sick, aged, disabled and jobless people is akin to the advice an ailing George Washington got from his doctors 210 years ago, one critic said Monday: Bleed him, in hope of a cure. Pawlenty would eliminate the General Assistance program in which about 20,000 disabled and very-low-income people receive an average of $175 a month.

16 Feb 2010

IRS helping thousands pay for health insurance

The IRS is helping more than 40,000 residents of Michigan buy health insurance "after they lost their jobs to foreign competition or had their pension plans terminated," The Detroit News reports.

16 Feb 2010

Advice on decoding and correcting medical bills

The Los Angeles Times offers advice to consumers on how to understand and correct medical bills.

16 Feb 2010

WellPoint cancels Investor Day, schedules conference call to review 2010 financial outlook

WellPoint, Inc. today cancelled its Investor Day previously scheduled for February 23, 2010, and announced that management will review the Company's 2010 financial outlook during a conference call on March 17, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The Company continues to expect full year 2010 net income to be at least $6.00 per share, subject to its ability to secure and maintain sufficient premium rates.

16 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 16, 2010

Today's health policy headlines cover a range of topics -- from using health savings to reduce the deficit to how tort reform fits into the current health reform negotiations.

16 Feb 2010

Highmark mobile marketing trucks' eco-conscious plan works for environment and for customers

After traveling 51,000 miles across Pennsylvania in one year, Highmark's mobile marketing trucks prove that an eco-conscious plan works for the environment and for customers. When Highmark launched the two mobile marketing units last January, plans were made to not only offer valuable health information services through the 53- and 28-foot trucks, but respectively do so in an earth-friendly manner.

16 Feb 2010

Senator Chuck Schumer to discuss tax cut proposed to stimulate job growth

Senator Chuck Schumer plans a visit Monday, February 15th to Ithaca, NY to discuss the tax cut proposal that Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Senator Schumer proposed to stimulate job growth.

16 Feb 2010

Governor Pawlenty's proposed budget will hurt hospitals and people in Minnesota

Governor Tim Pawlenty's budget proposal announced today will severely hurt Minnesota's hospitals and the citizens they serve. His proposed budget would reduce payment rates for patients in state health programs, cut spending on medical education and put adults without children now covered by MinnesotaCare into the growing ranks of the uninsured. The current budget proposal would only make things worse in both the short term and the long term. If the governor's budget is adopted, hospitals will more than likely need to layoff more skilled workers and cut much-needed services.

16 Feb 2010

Lack of comprehensive insurance coverage is barrier for smoking cessation: Study

As a new year and decade begin, many Pennsylvanians have made an important resolution to quit smoking. Wanting to quit is a good first step, but it's not nearly enough. Smoking, we now know, is not just a "habit"; it's a true physical addiction, and, on average, most smokers try at least five times to quit.

16 Feb 2010

American Showa joins with Concentra to open Showa Associates' Wellness Center in Ohio

For innovative employers, providing employee health coverage entails more than just offering health insurance, it becomes the focal point to improve the overall health of their employees and their families. American Showa, Inc., an auto parts manufacturer with two manufacturing plants in Ohio, is leading this effort by joining with Concentra to open the Showa Associates' Wellness Center, a new 4,000 sq ft medical center for their associates and their families located near their manufacturing facility in Blanchester, OH.

15 Feb 2010

Chemed announces financial results for fourth-quarter ended December 31, 2009

Chemed Corporation, which operates VITAS Healthcare Corporation, the nation’s largest provider of end-of-life care, and Roto-Rooter, the nation’s largest commercial and residential plumbing and drain cleaning services provider, reported financial results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2009, versus the comparable prior-year period

15 Feb 2010

Podesta says Obama White House 'lost the narrative' on health bill

"John Podesta, the president of the Center for American Progress who led Barack Obama's presidential transition, acknowledges the White House has been unable to successfully drive the debate on health care reform," Politico reports.

15 Feb 2010

Anthem Blue Cross announces delay in increase of insurance rates: HHS secretary issues statement

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued the following statement today after Anthem Blue Cross announced that they are delaying raising their rates:

15 Feb 2010

Anthem Blue Cross agrees to postpone rate adjustment for individual members in California

Earlier today, Anthem Blue Cross agreed to a request by the California Department of Insurance to postpone a rate adjustment for individual members in California by two months to allow the Department additional time for review. To avoid confusion for our members, this delay will impact all Anthem individual members regulated at either the state Department of Insurance or the Department of Managed Health Care.

15 Feb 2010

The President's health summit invite to lawmakers: 'Bring comprehensive legislation'

The Washington Post: "In a letter to lawmakers, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the half-day meeting at Blair House would include the top Democratic and Republican congressional leaders and the ranking members in committees that deal with health care. Outlining the format for a session some Republicans have derided as little more than political theater, the Obama advisers said both parties would be allowed to invite four other members each to the discussion, to begin at 10 a.m. and be televised live" (Shear, 2/13).

15 Feb 2010

Phrma's Tauzin quits amid talk that White House deal caused tension within organization

Former congressman and powerful lobbyist Billy Tauzin is resigning as head of the pharmaceutical industry trade group after a deal he helped broker with the White House on health reform strained relationships inside the group.

15 Feb 2010

Wyoming lawkmaker pushes for reform, Mississippi Governor bans certain over-the-counter drugs

Associated Press/CNBC: "A veteran Wyoming state senator for the third time is pushing a bill he says would offer health insurance to people who couldn't afford it on the open market and also serve as an example to the rest of the nation of how to tackle rising health care costs. Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, has proposed a pilot program that calls for allowing 500 participants to enroll in Medicaid beginning in July. It would be limited to people whose family income is below 250 percent of the federal poverty level — $55,125 for a family of four.

15 Feb 2010

Benefits of NaviNet Insurer Connect to be studied in New Jersey

NaviNet, America’s largest real-time healthcare communications network, today announced its participation in a landmark initiative to document the benefits of electronic health information exchange between healthcare providers and health insurers.

15 Feb 2010

Health Insurance News and Research

States struggle with insurance cost and coverage in Ohio, Rhode Island and Nebraska

Health reform pressure points: Excise tax, individual mandate, antitrust legislation

Budget cuts hit health care services in Minnesota, Oklahoma and California

IRS helping thousands pay for health insurance

Advice on decoding and correcting medical bills

WellPoint cancels Investor Day, schedules conference call to review 2010 financial outlook

First Edition: February 16, 2010

Highmark mobile marketing trucks' eco-conscious plan works for environment and for customers

Senator Chuck Schumer to discuss tax cut proposed to stimulate job growth

Governor Pawlenty's proposed budget will hurt hospitals and people in Minnesota

Lack of comprehensive insurance coverage is barrier for smoking cessation: Study

American Showa joins with Concentra to open Showa Associates' Wellness Center in Ohio

Chemed announces financial results for fourth-quarter ended December 31, 2009

Podesta says Obama White House 'lost the narrative' on health bill

Anthem Blue Cross announces delay in increase of insurance rates: HHS secretary issues statement

Anthem Blue Cross agrees to postpone rate adjustment for individual members in California

The President's health summit invite to lawmakers: 'Bring comprehensive legislation'

Phrma's Tauzin quits amid talk that White House deal caused tension within organization

Wyoming lawkmaker pushes for reform, Mississippi Governor bans certain over-the-counter drugs

Benefits of NaviNet Insurer Connect to be studied in New Jersey

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News