A Health Insurance Bill that for the first time would use federal money to cover children and pregnant women, was overwhelmingly approved by the senate yesterday. Eleven million children without health insurance and from low-income households will receive health insurance coverage as a result of this bill. Until now, health insurance was provided for families [...]
Archive for January, 2009
Fewer Small Businesses Offering Health Insurance
Due to economic struggles and the rising cost of health insurance, many small businesses have eliminated or cut back their coverage of employees. Eve Tahmincioglu of MSNBC has reported on the trend of employers dropping their health coverage. Small businesses are suffering from decreasing sales from customers who are struggling financially. With lower profit margins, [...]
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Won’t Cut Hospital Payments
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) has come to an agreement with local hospitals that they will not lower reimbursement payments, reports Retha Colclasure of KFYR Bismarck. In order to save money, the insurer had sought to reduce payments to health care providers without contract renegotiations. The North Dakota Insurance Department blocked [...]
Possible Expansion of Minnesota Health Insurance for Children
The Fort Mill Times is reporting that two state congresspersons have proposed expanding Minnesota health insurance to more children through the state’s MinnesotaCare program. MinnesotaCare is aimed towards working poor individuals and their children. The possible costs of such a move have not been detailed. These proposed changes would no longer require parents to pay [...]
COBRA Health Coverage Too Expensive.
COBRA health insurance coverage is becoming more and more out of reach for Americans who lose their jobs, according to a report by Families USA. According to the report, Americans who become unemployed and receive unemployment benefits received on avg. $1,278 per month in federal benefits, COBRA health insurance coverage would devour more than80% of [...]
Pennsylvania Insurers Highmark and Independence Blue Cross Call Off Merger
Following up on a post from Wednesday, Highmark and Independence Blue Cross have decided to abandon their plans for a merger, says Martha Raffaele of the Associated Press. The Pennsylvania health insurance companies did not want to agree to give up either the Blue Cross or Blue Shield trademark, which the Insurance Department was requiring. [...]
Top Tennessee Health Insurance Plans
The top five Tennessee health plans (based on prevention, treatment and customer assessment) according to US News and World Report’s annual rankings were as follows: UnitedHealthCare Plan of the River Valley – Also rated as the #1 overall health plan for the Medicare market CIGNA Healthcare of Tennessee – ranked #1 in Tennessee on the [...]
Pennsylvania Health Insurance Regulators Outline Condition for Independence Blue Cross/Highmark Merger
According to Jane M. Von Bergen and Angela Couloumbis of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania’s insurance commissioner has set a condition that must be met for the state to approve a merger of two major Pennsylvania health insurance companies: Highmark and Independence Blue Cross. The deal will require that the combined company give up the right [...]
