health plans news from FierceHealthcare
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SPOTLIGHT: Could health reform move strip health plans of federal antitrust protection?
The American Medical Association, for one, has been complaining loudly about the concentration of health plan power in major U.S. markets for some time now, but despite its lobbying power doesn't... Read more...
Its a high-deductible plan or nothing for BCBS of Florida employees
Even given the difficult choices employers face, most offer their employees at least a few choices of health coverage from which to choose. Health plans, in turn, pitch employers on what may be... Read more...
Health reform won't stop refusals to cover treatments, advocates warn
With health reform reaching the beachhead, painfully, and perhaps having a chance of passing at long last, nobody likes having to think about what didn't go right. But the truth is, not only is the... Read more...
SPOTLIGHT: Watch web ratings to avoid managed care de-selection, MGMA speakers say
You may feel your patients are largely satisfied with your practice or hospital, and you may even be right. The thing is, even if a small percentage of them (even 5 percent) are out there writing up... Read more...
Insurance industry attacks healthcare legislation
Unwilling to accept the new momentum behind healthcare legislation lying down, the health insurance industry launched a new attack against the healthcare legislation drafted by the Senate Finance... Read more...
Healthcare co-ops losing traction in Senate
The Senate Finance Committee's bill recently gained momentum from the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) favorable cost analysis, but the health insurance co-ops proposed in the bill may be the... Read more...
Facility fees continue to bedevil patients
As we've noted previously in this publication, charging patients both physician and facility fees isn't popular with consumers. Many consumers feel taken by surprise, and often rather angry, when... Read more...
Reform won't stop health plans from avoiding the sick, analysts say
One of the linchpins of health reform is making it possible for anyone who wants to buy health insurance to do so. This involves not only subsidies that help to pay for coverage, but also rules... Read more...
GOP protests rules barring health plans from lobbying seniors
Recently, Humana found itself in the middle of a major controversy after sending out a letter to Medicare Advantage members that attacked current health reform plans. Not only did CMS launch an... Read more...
SPOTLIGHT: Older women struggle to get health insurance
We already know that older people pay more for health insurance than younger ones do. Now, a report has come out suggesting that older women may struggle even harder. The report, from HHS, notes that... Read more...
