Health Insurance Blog

According to the article “Humana Profit Rises 65% Despite Commercial Falloff” by The Associated Press on the NYTimes.com, Humana One posted a significant profit because of an increase in membership and premiums from Medicare Advantage. 

Humana’s quarterly revenue increased by 8% as enrollment rose 11% from last year in its Medicare Advantage.  Enrollment in its plans sold to employers dropped by 7.6% from a year ago.  This contributed to a pretax loss in their commercial segment.  Many health insurance companies are suffering as employer-sponsored health coverage plans drop because of layoffs and companies going out of business.  In October, the 3 largest publicly traded health insurers, incliding United Health Group, WellPoint and Aetna, reported 3rd quarter results which were below expectations.

Humana says it spent approximately $5 million on swine flu related costs in the 3rd quarter.  The chief financial officer said the company expected a heavier swine flu season for the 4th quarter.  Now more than ever it’s crucial to ensure you have proper health insurance coverage.  You can get Humana insurance quotes online to see if you can save some money and get insured.

Dallas County will lead the state of Texas in the percent of kids without insurance according to the article “Dallas County Leads State In Uninsured Children” by Jason Roberson on dallasnews.com.  The rate of uninsured children in Dallas County is about triple the national average based on the report released by The Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

This is a statistic that is very upsetting for residents.  More than half of the 730,000 kids in Dallas County do not have full access to preventative health care.  The report, called “Beyond ABC: Growing Up in Dallas County”, uses state demographic data from 1998-2008 to research the well-being of resident children.

Dallas health insurance isn’t necessarily difficult to find, but families are having difficulty affording rising premiums.  Children’s and other hospitals support the initiative to get all children insured because it places them in the care of a regular doctor and eliminates expensive visits to the emergency room.  This can prevent the mounting of debt for hospitals.  31% of Dallas County children will be uninsured by 2010 unless something is done. 

A prediction has been made by the president of the American Hospital Association in San Antonio last Wednesday according to the article “Hospital Leader Sees Health Care Bill Passing” by Don Finley on mysanantonio.com.  The president, Richard Umbdenstock, believes some sort of health reform bill will pass before Congress leaves for the December holiday. 

This could mean big changes for San Antonio health insurance.  The bill that passes will not be perfect but it will bring some value.  Umbdenstock noted that half of US hospitals are losing money and 25% are breaking even.  These groups are concerned about a government run plan taking over as they may lose even more money.  Back in June, hospitals agreed to give up about $155 billion in federal payments over the next ten years.  In return for this loss, a plan would be put in place to ensure 94% of US residents would have health insurance.  This would reduce their losses from the uninsured by about $171 billion.

A few weeks ago the health insurance industry released a report stating that the Senate bill would increase premiums for people with private insurance.  They did agree to change the ways in which they conduct business such as covering people with pre-existing conditions in return for the requirement that everyone must purchase health insurance. 

Given the increased attention to rising health insurance rates and the growing number of uninsured in this country, we periodically scour the web for low-cost health insurance plans from quality health insurance companies across the country and blog about one here.

Blue Options HSA is a low cost health plan for North Carolina residents offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  BlueOptions HSA is a high deductible health plan that is eligible to combine with an HSA.

According to BCBSNC, monthly premiums are as much as 50% lower than a traditional health plan.  Rates can be less than $60 per month for a 25 year old male.  Other affordable health insurance plans offered by BCBSNC include Blue Advantage.

More information about North Carolina health insurance.

Many Americans between the ages of 50-64 are losing their health insurance according to the article “Health Insurance Hard to Find for the Newly Unemployed” by Richard Martin TampaBay.com.  The reason these people are losing their insurance so rapidly is because of rising unemployment and an increasing number of businesses unable to afford health insurance for their employees.

The AARP estimates that approximately 7 million people between 50-64 are uninsured.  This number is growing rapidly and causing much stir in the health care debate in Washington DC.  Until recently, most of the focus has been placed on the young uninsured or Medicare for over 65. 

The main problem with this generation losing their health insurance is this is when they need it most.  Finding health insurance for this group can be challenging as well.  Individual health insurance plans for those over 50 cost much more than employer sponsored plans.  Many plans exclude pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, obesity, or depression, conditions that often come with age.  Studies show that uninsured people are more likely to put off treatment which can lead to declining health.  It’s a vicious cycle that hopefully Congress can end.

A recent study conducted by the Texas Public Interest Research Group examines how the current health insurance system affects small businesses across the nation.  This is according to the article “Study finds that small businesses are disadvantaged by higher health care costs” by Priscilla Pelli on dailytexanonline.com. 

Austin’s small businesses are at risk under the current health insurance system according to this study.  There are negative effects on these Texas small businesses as increases in the cost of health care plans for employees are in place.  Businesses also have the inability to provide health insurance coverage to the employees because of very high costs.

Individual health insurance in Texas can be easy to find, but when you own a small business you may not always have the cash flow to cover monthly premiums, especially for employees.  Smaller businesses are finding it harder and harder to attract quality employees since the benefits they can afford to offer are not competitive.  This is putting small business at an extreme disadvantage.  Hopefully the health care reform plan that Congress votes for will assist these affected businesses.

One of the regular items we blog about here at healthinsurancesort.com is finding affordable health plans across the country to assist our uninsured readers in finding health plans that fit within their budgets. These plans might not be for everybody, but it can’t hurt to be aware that they exist.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) offers and affordable health care option called Foundation Hospital Care PPO. This health plan is not comprehensive major medical insurance but rather a limited benefit plan that only covers health care expenses related to inpatient hospitalization coverage.

The plan offers

• Affordable, cost effective health coverage for inpatient settings
• Freedom to choose your hospitals
• Individual, spouse and child coverage
• 24 hour worldwide coverage
• No balance billing above the Allowable Amount

Limited benefit plans are not right for everybody, but might fit your needs in a pinch.

more information about Texas health insurance and BCBSTX

Health Care Lane is a new and interactive website where experts explain health insurance topics offered by UnitedHealthcare health insurance according to their Newsroom on uhc.com.  Health Care Lane enables an online community to get common health insurance questions answered quickly.

Health Care Lane was launched in time for open enrollment and offers help with selecting the right health insurance plan and understanding health insurance quotes.  The straightforward conversations are designed to be user friendly and easy to understand. 

Not only is Health Care Lane available to UnitedHealthcare members, but it’s also offered to anyone interested in learning more about health care topics.  Visitors can learn about simple topics such as the definition of a premium or more complex topics such as the benefits of a Health Savings Account.  This site is a great opportunity for consumers to educate themselves on the many facets of health insurance, now more than ever as the health care system is up for debate. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and people in Houston, Texas are gathering together to support the cause.  According to the article “Community Breast Health Event at Cy-Fair Hospital” found on the cypresstimes.com, the Women’s Imaging Center at Cy-Fair Hospital is hosting a Breast Health Event on October 29th.

The Cypress Fairbanks Women’s Imaging Center has an experienced and caring staff who understand the importance of supporting breast health.  This event will not only raise awareness, but they will be offering education on self exams, general breast health information as well as offering giveaways and bone density testing. 

The article points out that breast cancer affects 1 in every 8 women in the US.  Early detection is very important in treating breast cancer.  The American Cancer Society recommends that women over 40 years of age should get a mammogram once a year and many Houston health insurance companies should cover this screening.

According to the article “Medicare Advantage Premiums Expected to Rise 25% Next Year” by Jane Zhang for The Wall Street Journal online, premiums that seniors pay for Medicare Advantage are increasing.  This is mostly because insurance companies are cancelling many plans that carry no premiums in response to new federal guidelines. 

Humana Health Insurance Inc is setting up networks for its Private Fee for Service insurance plans and consolidating them next year.  Humana will have 149 Private Fee for Service Plans, which is down from 173 in 2009.  Humana made other changes such as the special needs plans which targets sicker people enrolled. 

The number of Medicare Advantage plans will drop by approximately 40% in total.  This is according to an Avalere analysis of Medicare data.  Some consumers will see their plans change dramatically and others will see their plans simply go away.  It’s important they are prepared for what changes may impact them directly.