Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, the state’s largest health insurer, is under fire from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) due to its policies, according to CBS NewsChannel 5. PETA wants providers of Vermont health insurance to vary health insurance premiums based on an individual’s diet, charging meat-eaters higher rates and offering [...]
Archive for December, 2008
HUSKY Health Insurance Program
According to the Hartford Currant, 60,000 Connecticut families enrolled in the HUSKY Health Insurance Program, were notified recently that they must switch to a new managed care network by February 1, 2009. The network change requirement is taking place because HUSKY is ending its relationship with Anthem Blue Care. Anthem withdrew from the bidding process [...]
UnitedHealth Subsidiary to Offer E-Prescriptions
This is very interesting: Vita Reed in the Orange County Business Journal says that a subsidiary of UnitedHealthCare called Prescription Solutions, which manages pharmacy benefits, is planning on introducing an e-prescription service. They are partnering with SureScripts-RXHub to do so. UnitedHealth got the California-based company as part of its acquisition of PacifiCare in 2005. I predict this [...]
Aetna Health Insurance Resolves BayCare Dispute
Aetna Health Insurance and BayCare Health Systems have resolved a contract dispute that would have reduced health care access for over 300,000 patients in the Tampa, Florida area. Stephen Nohlgren of the St. Petersburg Times says that if BayCare and Aetna didn’t settle their issues, Aetna insurance would no longer be accepted by BayCare hospitals [...]
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Discounts
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) has annouced that they are extending their discounts for early enrollment discounts for their portfolio of Medicare Supplement Plans. BCBSAZ’s discount program extensions increase the duration of the Medicare Supplement discounts from 5 to 10 years and raises the eligibilty age from 65 1/2 to 67 years [...]
Happy Holidays from Health Insurance Sort!
No matter what you celebrate, we at Health Insurance Sort wish you a peaceful holiday. (Photo credit: kimberlyfaye under CC 2.0)
Massachusetts Raises Penalties for Being Without Health Insurance
Kay Lazar from the Boston Globe is reporting that the Massachusetts Department of Revenue is raising the monentary penalties charged to individuals without Massachusetts health insurance. The fines are levied monthly. If an adult over the age of 27 and earns over $31,212 per year, as of 2009 they will now have to pay $1,086 [...]
States Ask For Federal Help With Medicaid Insurance
RedOrbit recently reported that after many states have seen a significant increase in Medicaid enrollment since the beginning of the recession (Connecticut has seen a 6% increase this year), governors have asked Congress and President-Elect Barack Obama to help them pay for the publicly funded health insurance plan. The governors are petitioning for $40 billion [...]
Employer-Based Health Insurance Plans Reduce Co-Payments
The National Business Coalition of Health just released a study based on data from its eValue8 comparison tool. The study’s findings include great news for individuals with chronic conditions and employer-based health insurance. The average health insurance plan is doing more to cover the medication and equipment needed, due to higher employee demand. The result [...]
Arizona Health Plans Create Association
According to the Phoenix Business Journal, seven Arizona health insurance companies are working together to create the Arizona Association of Health Plans Inc. The Seven health plans include: Arizona Physician’s IPA Mercy Care Plan Care1st Arizona University Family Care Phoenix Health Plan SCAN Long Term Care Health Choice AZ The Association hopes to add more [...]
