premiums news from FierceHealthcare
NewsMedicaid enrollees may start paying premiums, ER co-pays
Florida lawmakers have approved a bill that would levy premiums on its Medicaid enrollees and charge co-payments for their emergency room visits, reports Kaiser Health News. Gov. Rick Scott is 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...
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...
| Press ReleasesMedicare Advantage premiums down 7 percent on average, enrollment up 10 percentWASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Medicare Advantage premiums have fallen by 7 percent on average and enrollment has risen by about 10 percent since this time last year, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Read more >> Current and former Walmart workers hold teach ins to coincide with opening of Crystal Bridges museum; Call for Walmart toWalton Family—Walmart Heirs—Exposed as the Face of the 1% NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Angered by Walmart’s recent decision to cut health care coverage for employees, current and former Walmart Read more >> Integrated Healthcare Association Launches Value Based Pay for Performance As It Marks 10 Years of P4P Leadership in PartnOAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Reflecting the importance of measuring and rewarding both quality and cost-efficiency, the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA), now in its 10th year of Read more >> According to Anesthesia Business Consultants, Health Plans Tighten Up On AnesthesiologistsJACKSON, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Anesthesia Business Consultants (ABC) publishes weekly articles on timely topics pertaining to anesthesia practice. The following is an excerpt from this week’s Read more >> The Doctors Company Announces Over $37 Million in Total Paid to Former Northwest Physicians Mutual Policyholders2011 Payment Over $14 Million in Addition to Consecutive Dividends and Rate Decrease NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Doctors Company, the nation’s largest insurer of physician and surgeon medical Read more >> |
