Health Insurance Blog

According to the article “Mexico Unveils New Travel Health Insurance Scheme to Win Back Tourists” by Karen Elowitt for petergreenberg.com, Mexico has made a bold move towards winning back tourists after the stigma of Swine Flu has left the country struggling.  Mexico will be setting up a unique health insurance plan which will be available for tourists in the case of illness free of charge.

The program is called the “Tourist Assistance Card” which can be accessed by contacting a toll-free phone number which connects them to a multi-lingual call center.  There may be applicable deductibles and patients will have to get treatment from authorized hospitals. 

The health insurance is being offered by a private company called MAPFRE and it will be available for any type of medical emergency from car accidents to the flu.  They will also offer additional assistance to those who have lost their passports or who need traveling advice.  It is still to be determined whether or not this generous offer will lure enough tourists back to Mexico to save their economy, but it’s a creative solution that could work.

Thestreet.com recently rated the financial strength of HMOs from coast-to-coast.  It is important to understand the financial strength of an insurance company that will be providing you benefits as a weak company may provide you with sub-standard care as well as the potential for financial loss.

The following companies were rated as having an A+ financial strength rating by thestreet.com

• Health Care Services Corporation
• Blue Cross of California
• Excellus Health Plan
• Group Hospital & Medical Services
• LA Health Services & Indemnity
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
• Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield
• Horizon Health Care of New Jersey
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of KC
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island
• Carefirst BlueChoice
• Independent Health Association
• Anthem Health Plans of Maine
• Blue Cross of Idaho
• HealthKeepers Inc.
• Rochester Area HMO
• Optima Health Plan
• HMO Louisiana

More research about health plans by state.

According to the article “Taxing Pricey Insurance: No Health-care Cure” by Kate Pickert on Time.com, Congress is trying to figure out a way to pay for the expensive health insurance reform and taxing health insurance benefits is on the table.  The plan may cost up to 1 trillion over the next 10 years and many are left wondering where this money will come from.  Employers have been offering tax free health benefits for more than 50 years and changing this system makes many people very uncomfortable.

Approximately 2/3 of Americans receive their health insurance through their employer so it may be here to stay.  One idea being considered is a cap on the amount of employer-sponsored health insurance that can be provided tax free.  This would leave only very expensive, elite plans to be taxed.  But even this proposal is being frowned upon.

This leads Congress to consider taxing health insurance companies.  The Senate Finance Committee has reportedly shifted towards a plan that would tax insurers who offer the most expensive health care plans.  This would generate some tax money as well as encourage more affordable health insurance.  The complex health care reform debate continues.

Blue Cross Blue Shield member plans initiatives to increase access to affordable health insurance by the uninsured.

Part V

The Keiki Care Plan is a partnership between the state of Hawaii and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii.  Under the partnership, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii offers health coverage to uninsured children in the state with no monthly premium.  The cost of coverage is shared between the state and Blue Cross.

The Keiki care Plan provides basic health benefits including preventive care, immunizations, doctor’s visits, diagnostic tests, emergency care and limited prescription drug benefits.

The Keiki Care Plan is a three-year pilot program targeting Hawaiian children whose families are unable to afford health insurance and may otherwise go without needed medical care.

More information about Hawaii health insurance.

Blue Cross Blue Shield member plans initiatives to  increase access to affordable health insurance by the uninsured.

Part IV

GoBlue is a product offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida which provides Florida residents access to doctor visits, basic and preventative dental care, prescription coverage, and lab tests all at affordable rates as low as $26 per month, for a 25 year old.

GoBlue is a guaranteed issue producty which means florida residents cannot be declined due to health conditions.  In addtion, the product has no lifetime maximums so members can continue to be enrolled as long as they continue to pay their monthly premiums.

More information about Florida health insurance.

According to a press release from July 15 on 1888pressrelease.com entitled “Health Insurance Quotes Go Down When You Shape Up”, as unemployment increases so does the number of uninsured since many people turn to employer-based health insurance plans.  Health insurance costs are often unaffordable for the unemployed, but there are ways to keep costs down.

An article on Insuranceagents.com states that simply making some lifestyle changes can affect your health insurance quotes.  Policyholders are recommended to get plenty of sleep, eat a well-balanced diet, take vitamins, cut smoking, monitor weight and exercise regularly.  Overweight people spend much more on health insurance because they are filing more claims and often times have pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.  Obesity is also the second leading cause of death in America, estimated to cause around 300,000 deaths per year according to the Surgeon General.

Staying healthy can save you money in the long run on health insurance as well as help you live a longer, higher quality life so it really is a win-win situation to get fit.

Blue Cross Blue Shield member plans initiatives to  increase access to affordable health insurance by the uninsured.

Part III.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (BCBSD) launched a suite of health plans called BlueIndividual.  The BlueIndividual health plans provide access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage to Delaware residents who are ineligible for employer sponsored health coverage.

There are three products in the BlueIndividual portfolio, and each one can be combined with a tax-advantaged HSA Plan.

More Information about Delaware Health Insurance.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s (BCBSAZ) is the next health insurance company that we will discuss in this continuing series of posts related to efforts by Blue Cross Blue Shield member health plans to undertake programs designed to increase access to affordable health insurance for the uninsured.

BCBSAZ launched a program called BlueSolutions which enables small businesses with fewer than 50 employees to offer low-premium, high-deductible health coverage to their workers.  BlueSolutions covers a broad range of healthcare services such as urgent care and maternity care, with affordable co-pays for in-network physician visits and generic prescriptions.

The small business’ served by BlueSolutions were previously unable to offer any type of health insurance to their employees.

More information about Arizona health insurance.

Wednesday evening President Obama used the phrase “health insurance reform” five times in his opening statement according to “It’s Health Insurance, Not Health Care Reform, For Obama” by Mark Knoller on cbsnews.com.  The White House may think that the concept of revising health insurance instead of overhauling health care is easier to sell to Congress.

In this prime time conference in the East Room he made repeating arguments for his health insurance reform.  He believes it will offer more health care security and stability, coverage for all, no denials for pre-existing illnesses, more affordable health insurance options, and less government spending.  He was very adamant that his plan will not add to the deficit over the next 10 years. 

The President has a stern deadline for when he wants the House and Senate to pass a health care bill which is before their August recess.  He wants the rush because of the feedback he is getting from the American people on their high health insurance costs. 

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) member health plans collectively insure more than 100 million Americans, and although they are not supporters of President Obama’s health care reform proposal which would establish a public health plan that would compete with private health insurers, they are firm believers that everyone in our country should have health insurance.  Consequently many Blue Cross Blue Shield member health plans are undertaking state initiatives to increase the availability of affordable health insurance plans to the uninsured.

Over the next several days we will identify some of these state initiatives.

The first initiative is one launched by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, called the Alabama Child Caring Program (ACCP).  The program established in 1988 provides immediate and ongoing care to uninsured children in Alabama who are ineligible for state sponsored health programs.  Since the program was launched, nearly 70,000 Alabama children have received health coverage, helping Alabama lead the nation with the lowest % of uninsured children.

More information about Alabama health insurance.