Statement from Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, Executive Director. "While we welcome news today from the U.S. Census Bureau that the number of uninsured Americans has declined, the picture is not all rosy. Yes, the number of people without health insurance has decreased from 47 million in 2006 to 45.7 [...]
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Tuesday examined how across the U.S., "some insured patients are being asked by hospitals to pay larger portions of their bills upfront -- and sometimes hospitals will not do the procedures until they get their copayments.[...]
Health Net has agreed to pay $26 million in restitution and interest and $15 million in fines and other charges to settle allegations that it underpaid out-of-network claims for 88,000 New Jersey members between 1996 and 2005, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance announced Tuesday, the[...]
"Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007," U.S. Census Bureau: The Census Bureau on Tuesday released findings from the Current Population Survey that show both the percentage and number of U.S. residents without health insurance decreased in 2007. The percentage of U.S residents without health insurance [...]
The Alabama State Employees' Insurance Board last week approved a plan that will require state employees who are obese or have health problems to make progress to address those issues or pay a monthly charge for health insurance, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.[...]
Americans who lack health insurance for any part of 2008 will spend $30 billion out of pocket for health services and receive $56 billion in uncompensated care while uninsured. Government programs pay for about three-quarters, or roughly $43 billion, of the uncompensated care bill, researchers report in today's Web Exclusive [...]
Nine health insurers have submitted proposals to participate in Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) new "Cover Florida" program, which aims to provide basic, low-cost health coverage to about four million uninsured state residents, the St. Petersburg Times reports.[...]
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, New Jersey's largest health insurer, on Friday filed to become a publicly held for-profit company, which could potentially provide the state $1 billion to spend on health care, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The insurer covers 3.[...]
WellCare has agreed to pay $35.2 million as part of a Medicaid fraud investigation, but the payment does not settle nor limit the investigation, the health insurer wrote in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, the St. Petersburg Times reports (St.[...]
Windsor Medicare Extra announced plans to host a symposium in Little Rock on September 23, 2008. A diverse panel will meet to discuss emerging trends in treating those with mental health conditions in Arkansas. Windsor Medicare Extra is one of only two health plans in the nation contracted with the [...]
For years, Labor Day has meant picnics, watermelon, softball games and kids having fun. But for millions of working people, it also could rekindle memories of the old days when having a job meant they didn't have to worry about health insurance. Times are changing and HSAInsights.com can help. Today, [...]
Amerigroup will pay $225 million to settle allegations by federal and Illinois state authorities that Amerigroup's health plans denied coverage to pregnant women and people with health ailments in the Illinois Medicaid program, the insurer and the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday,[...]
Population Services International (PSI), a non-governmental organization, in partnership with Star Health and Allied Insurance Company and the Karnataka Network for Positive People (KNP+) introduced India's first ever group health insurance plan today to more than 250 People Living with HIV (PLHIV).[...]
About 3,400 California residents whose health insurance was canceled by Kaiser Permanente, Health Net and PacifiCare soon will be notified that they might be eligible for new coverage and compensation for medical bills incurred while they were uninsured, the[...]
Steps taken by safety-net hospitals to attract insured patients to offset the costs of providing no-cost care to the indigent could compromise a hospital's mission, according to a study published online on Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs, the Seattle Times reports. The study was conducted by the[...]
Advisers to the two major presidential candidates during an online debate on the Wall Street Journal Web site discussed the effect that their health care proposals would have on the employer-sponsored health insurance market, the Journal's "Health Blog" reports.[...]
To save money, many Americans are cutting back on medical care -- potentially putting their health at risk -- according to new research from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). A national survey of 686 consumers, fielded in July, found that 22 percent of U.S. consumers say they have [...]
In comparison with Canadians, Americans with vision problems are equally or more likely to access eye care services, if they have health insurance. Without health insurance, Americans visit eyecare professionals at lower rates, according to a report released August 11, 2008 in the Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives [...]
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the American Society of Clinical Oncology are collaborating to collect and analyze treatment information on tens of thousands of people with cancer in Michigan in an effort to improve care and reduce costs, the Detroit News reports.[...]
Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-La.) on Thursday promoted a bill (HR 6210) that would allow the establishment of statewide or nationwide health insurance purchasing pools for small businesses and self-employed individuals, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports.[...]
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois recently announced plans to end reimbursements to hospitals for treatment that results from serious medical errors, the Chicago Tribune reports. BCBS Illinois spokesperson Jack Segal said that the health plan has not finalized a list of serious medical errors included under the policy.[...]
Private-sector employers and their employees have seen their health insurance premium costs go up by more than 100 percent since 1996, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.[...]
The Arizona Legislature and Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) have eliminated the SSDI-Temporary Medical Coverage program to save about $8.35 million as the state tries to reduce a $2 billion fiscal year 2008-2009 budget deficit, the Arizona Republic reports.[...]
Diabetes Checks and Balances, a unique program launched locally to help people manage the disease, helped decrease emergency room visits and hospital admissions among participants.[...]
The House on Wednesday by voice vote approved a bill (HR 2851) that would allow college students who take medical leave to continue to receive health insurance under the policies of their parents, the[...]
