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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...
BCBS companies take aggregate 41 percent loss for 2008
It looks like last year was a serious downer for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, which lost a collective 40.9 percent in income for 2008, as compared with the previous year, struggling with... Read more...
Report: Uncompensated care costs passed to insured
When people can't pay their healthcare bill, the money comes out of the pockets of the insured. Such is the conclusion of a new report from consumer advocacy group Families USA, which says insured... Read more...
Law barring genetic discrimination going into effect
A federal law which protects people from genetic discrimination will go into effect this week. The law will bar health insurers from denying coverage, raising premiums or otherwise making decisions... Read more...
Kerry bill would bar health plans from charging women more
Right now, a 25-year-old woman can pay up to 45 percent more than a 25-year-old man for the same health coverage, and a 40-year-old woman can pay up to 48 percent more than a 40-year-old man,... Read more...
Aetna stock falls for Q1 '09 despite strong profits
Sometimes, you lose even when you win. Though Aetna reported that its first-quarter profit beat Wall Street's estimates, higher-than-expected medical costs still spooked investors, driving the... Read more...
SPOTLIGHT: COBRA subsidy might not reach as many as hoped
When President Obama's stimulus plan included a subsidy designed to help laid-off workers cover COBRA premiums, many consumer advocates cheered. However, it's beginning to look like there's plenty of... Read more...
Study: Health insurance premiums rising faster than wages
According to a study for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, nearly 20 percent of workers in the U.S. are uninsured reports the Associated Press. In the mid-1990s, about 14 percent of workers-or one... Read more...
If health plan profits keep falling, selloffs may begin
Health plan profits are falling, and given the trends in the U.S. economy and healthcare costs generally, this trend is likely to linger for a while. And if falling profits remain a fact of life for... Read more...
Do women pay more for health insurance?
According to the New York Times, information gathered by insurance companies and online brokers shows women pay significantly higher rates for health insurance than men of the same age, purchasing... Read more...
