Topic: Insurance
State News: Ohio, Florida Take Advantage Of Federal Health Funds; Mass. Psychiatrists Win Court Case
As many as 5 million uninsured kids are eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, according to a report published Friday in the journal Health Affairs, Reuters reports. "An est ... more
This week an insurance research firm reported that ownership in life insurance has reached a 50-year low, with nearly a third of U.S. households not having a form of this financial protection. As the ... more
As Hurricane Earl moves up the East Coast, Rite Aid stores along the coast and in anticipated areas of impact have stocked up on supplies to help residents get ready and urge them to plan ahead. Thes ... more
Once promising breast cancer drug could get FDA boot: "One factor clouding the debate over Avastin is money. On average, a year's worth of treatment costs about $96,000. Standard chemotherapy for brea ... more
Once promising breast cancer drug could get FDA boot: "One factor clouding the debate over Avastin is money. On average, a year's worth of treatment costs about $96,000. Standard chemotherapy for brea ... more
The number of health plan outlets is small but is expected to grow as more consumers look to buy individual policies. ... more
Uninsured minority pedestrians hit by cars are at a significantly higher risk of death than their insured white counterparts, even if the injuries sustained are similar, new research suggests. ... more
Last month, we debunked an email which claims that folks will have to pay taxes on their group health benefits starting next year. That is patently false.But it is true that new reporting requirements ... more
There are still about 4.7 million uninsured American children who are eligible for CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) or Medicaid and are not enrolled, says a new report published in the journ ... more
More than 48 percent of all Americans took at least one prescription drug each month in 2008, which amounts to a 10 percent increase over the previous decade, according to a new report from the US Cen ... more
Companies are cutting healthcare costs further amid a continuing sour economy, scaling back benefits and shifting a greater share of the expense to employees. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePl ... more
Apparently, Sen Ron Wyden (D-IHOP) agrees with us that the so-called Individual Mandate is evil. Previously, of course, he was all for it; in fact, it was a centerpiece of his own "Healthy Americans A ... more
What does the Capitol Visitors Center and Obamacare have in common?The CVC was supposed to make it easier for visitors to access Washington landmarks and make their visit more pleasant.The CVC origina ... more
San Francisco Chronicle: "A report released Wednesday found foreclosures have not only economic consequences, but create health problems for the people and families involved -- and those effects can r ... more
A new Commonwealth Fund report estimates that "about 16.6 million workers are employed by small businesses that are eligible for health insurance tax credits" under the new health law but only 3.4 mil ... more
The journey toward health care reform reached a historic milestone March 22 when the House approved legislation that would extend coverage to 32 million more Americans and impose new restrictions on t ... more
I continue to be impressed with the quality of wonkery displayed by the folks whose submissions you'll see below. Looking back at the first 'Review I ever hosted, I was struck by how many wonk-blogger ... more
PruHealth has become a competitor of scale in the UK Private Medical Insurance (PMI) market following the completion of the acquisition of Standard Life Healthcare by Discovery Holdings* of South Afri ... more
The Los Angeles Times: "As state leaders blast giant health insurers for raising rates, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has quietly allowed hefty increases for thousands of sick or jobless ... more
Cincinnati, OH, September 2, 2010The existence of chronic Lyme disease is an issue of sharp debate within the medical community. Some health care workers who call themselves #8220;Lyme literate #82 ... more
Source: Dept. of Health and Human Services Related MedlinePlus Page: Health Insurance ... more
The folks in Washington that gave us the "bridge to nowhere " have done it again, this time with health insurance. ERRP (Early Retirement Reinsurance Program) as announced by HHS is supposed to make ... more
States are rolling out their new high-risk pools, including Michigan and New York. In Michigan, enrollment begins today and is open to adults 19 to 64, the Detroit Free Press reports. The pool "will p ... more
CMS says a slight rate increase for Part D insurance, combined with discounts required by the health reform law, will make medications more affordable. ... more
The American Medical Association and state medical societies are supporting a proposal by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on what expenditures insurers can consider medical spendin ... more
HHS is proud of their site for all things related to health insurance. Healthcare.gov has been up almost 2 months and it seems to have everything you want to know about health insurance options.Seems ... more
"Michigan is set to launch a subsidized insurance pool for people who haven't been able to get coverage because of a pre-existing health condition, but it's not clear if the program will be big enough ... more
The Associated Press: "Gov. Brian Schweitzer, cooking up a new plan to get cheaper prescription drugs for state residents, said he wants to let every Montanan get discounted medicine through Medicaid. ... more
New England Journal of Medicine: Underinsurance Among Children In The United States - This study examines the scope of underinsurance, or health insurance that fails to sufficiently meet the needs, of ... more
AARP Bulletin: "Two years after undergoing a double mastectomy and chemotherapy so severe she was hospitalized in intensive care for several weeks, breast cancer survivor Denise Hicks should be follow ... more
AARP Bulletin: "Two years after undergoing a double mastectomy and chemotherapy so severe she was hospitalized in intensive care for several weeks, breast cancer survivor Denise Hicks should be follo ... more
Press conference on the occasion of the 23rd ECNP Congress 2010, Amsterdam All humans are synchronised to the rhythmic light-dark changes that occur on a daily basis. Rhythms in physiological and bioc ... more
The reform bill significantly reduces the amount of compensation companies can write off. ... more
Insurance commissioners propose barring health plans from considering anti-fraud efforts, coding upgrades and some utilization review as medical expenditures. ... more
Go here to read a publication from the folks at the NCPA telling the readers much they need to know about PPACA.It is a welcome counterpoint to the rosy and in parts misleading picture painted in t ... more
The Los Angeles Times: "California insurance regulators cleared the way Wednesday for Anthem Blue Cross to implement scaled-back rate hikes after a previous increase was canceled amid an uproar over i ... more
"Even prior to the onset of the economic recession in 2008, nearly one in four American parents with health insurance reported that their coverage was so inadequate they were unable to access the medi ... more
This legislative session, Arizona lawmakers and Gov. Jan Brewer (R) enacted several laws that affect reproductive rights, including a measure that prohibits municipalities from offering abortion cover ... more
Study shows brain trauma associated with lifelong conditions that affect quality of life and mortality GALVESTON Traumatic brain injury, currently considered a singular event by the insurance indus ... more
Traumatic brain injury, currently considered a singular event by the insurance industry and many health care providers, is instead the beginning of an ongoing process that impacts multiple organ syste ... more
In spite of protestations that Medi-Share is not insurance, the Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled otherwise. A Christians-only health care plan provides a "contract for insurance " and doesn #39;t qua ... more
2007 data shows many families with private insurance still can't get adequate pediatric care Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Children's Health, Health Insurance, Health Statistics ... more
Then why are there so many health insurance companies retreating from the market, leaving consumers with fewer choices and higher premiums? Since March when Obamacrap was signed in to law we have seen ... more
The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act - a largely overlooked component of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - has the potential to transform long-term car ... more
The Human Capital Practice of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), the global insurance broker, announced the launch of its Health Care Reform Impact Analysis Calculator, a robust online tool that helps ... more
2007 data shows many families with private insurance still can't get adequate pediatric care ... more
News outlets look at a variety of issues surrounding Medicare. WRAL: "The national health care reform law, which was was designed to provide insurance coverage and access to physicians to m ... more
As changes mandated by the health law continue to emerge, news outlets are exploring how the measure will alter the landscape for consumers and for insurance professionals. Kaiser Health N ... more
The Roads On Ryan's Map May Not Exist Minneapolis Star Tribune Your road map would turn the federal contribution to health care into a voucher (which I don't view as a dirty word). But the vouchers it ... more
The Boston Globe: "When an insurance appeals board issued a surprise ruling on June 24 toppling the Patrick administration's cap on Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's premium rates, there was little time f ... more
A new analysis of data on patients covered by a single insurance company reports that risks of heart disease events and death were no different between patients who took the diabetes drugs rosiglitazo ... more
Julia Wood, a 51-year-old mother of 12 from Chicago's East side, has some health insurance through a state program -- but is so worried she may lose it she asks not to give her real name. Reuters He ... more
by Jay Parkinson, MDDr. Marcus Conant, among the first AIDS specialists in San Francisco, who for decades had one of the world s largest private practices for patients with AIDS and HIV, has left ... more
As housing sales plummet, it may be instructive to draw some parallels:"Sales of previously occupied homes plunged last month to the lowest level in 15 years, despite the lowest mortgage rates in deca ... more
What do Americans think about when they think about prescription drugs? A new survey finds that cost, safety and industry influence over physicians are on a lot of minds. The overall picture suggests ... more
Watching Obamacare unfold is not a pretty sight. We have the anticipation of much higher rates for children which will be unveiled in 30 days or less. Some health insurance companies, including Golden ... more
The New York Times: "The Obama administration is rewriting new rules on medical privacy after an outpouring of criticism from consumer groups and members of Congress who say the rules do not adequatel ... more
Two professions at opposite ends of the insurance business might not be thrilled with the health overhaul: Senior insurance company executives, and agents and brokers.Crain's Detroit Business: "Federa ... more
Once the National Association of Insurance Commissioners finalizes recommendations on insurance companies' spending on medical costs versus administrative expenses, the next stop for that proposal wil ... more
On Friday, President Obama updated his pending fiscal year 2011 HHS budget request to include $400 million more for HIV/AIDS programs, high-risk insurance pools and health worker training, CQ HealthBe ... more
Come Again? The New York Times Republicans claim to be deeply worried about the deficit - their favorite political target, followed closely by President Obama's relentlessly demonized health care refo ... more
So much for the health care, er, insurance "crisis::"Just two people in New Jersey will begin receiving coverage Monday under new plans created by federal health care reforms."The Garden State's new R ... more
That's a "bit" slow - as in only 2 people signed up in New Jersey (emphasis added): HACKENSACK, N.J -- Just two people in New Jersey will begin receiving coverage Monday under new plans created by ... more
by Stephen C. Schimpff, MDWhether we have commercial insurance through our employer or Medicare, the incentives are poorly aligned to lower costs and improve quality.In fact, they actually encourage ... more
News outlets reported on a variety of industry news related to the health overhaul. Milwaukee-based Insurer Assurant Inc. is cutting its workforce in various locations around America ahead of heal ... more
Colleges are saying the new health law could keep them from offering low-cost, limited benefit student health insurance plans, "and they're seeking federal authority to continue offering them," Kaiser ... more
Voters in August rejected the federal health system reform's requirement that individuals buy coverage. ... more
Joel Ario is tapped to head a key new function that will allow millions of people to buy coverage starting in 2014. ... more
No blog (or bloggers) hold ObamaCare© in more contempt than IB, but we have been (and continue to be) scrupulously fair in our criticism of this train-wreck. In that spirit, it seems necessary to deb ... more
by Aaron E. Carroll, MDAn eagle-eyed reader let me know that the Kaiser Family Foundation has a nice subsidy calculator up that you can play with. You enter information about your income and situ ... more
by Dave deBronkartThe opening anecdote of the e-patient white paper tells of a patient who impersonated a doctor in 1994, to get his hands on an article about an operation he was about to have. H ... more
by Brad WrightHealth reform will do a lot of things that most Americans don #8217;t realize it will do, and it will not do a lot of things that many Americans mistakenly believe it will do.One of th ... more
Forever on the campaign trail, in his cutesy attempt to be like the rest of us by giving a speech at the North Side home of architect Joe Weithman in Columbus, Ohio - our Fuhrer unsurprisingly attribu ... more
by Paul LevyThere are strange things going on in the Massachusetts health care insurance market. For those from out of state, here are some quotes that will give you a sense of the contradictions i ... more
The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) released the results of its recent employer membership survey on preventive care benefits. The study was conducted to determine the extent to which employe ... more
Latinas participating in an educational intervention program were two-and-a-half times more likely to seek postpartum care than were those who did not have access to a similar program, a new study fin ... more
First, the good news, at least for those undergoing chemo for cancer:"Yale researchers have developed a medication based on a Chinese herbal recipe more than 1,800 years old to counteract the adverse ... more
A new site is up giving more information on PCIP, the Obamapool for those who cannot obtain health insurance and can prove it. This site has been established by the administrator of the taxpayer funde ... more
U.S. health officials said on Wednesday they expect Medicare patients enrolled in the federal health insurance program's prescription drug benefit to see their premium costs remain flat next year.Sour ... more
Direct to consumer (DTC) genetic tests are increasingly being marketed to the public via television, print ads, and the Internet. These home genetic tests provide access to a person's genomic informat ... more
Massachusetts regulators cut a deal Monday with insurer Health New England to limit premium increases for individual policyholders and small businesses to 8.2 percent, down from the hikes ranging from ... more
Kaiser Health News, in a collaboration with USA Today: Recently laid-off workers, as well as people who received a subsidy for 15 months to help them afford to keep their former employer's health insu ... more
The Santa Cruz Sentinel/San Jose Mercury News: As a result of the federal health overhaul, businesses "with under 50 full-time equivalent employees will be under no obligation to offer health insuranc ... more
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a guideline for what insurers can count as medical costs - as opposed to administrative expenses - under new he ... more
A Florida judge, meanwhile, removes from the November ballot a proposed amendment blocking the national health reform law. ... more
You're not getting them:"Fewer than 2 million of the nation s 6 million companies with employees qualify for the small-business tax credits included in the new health insurance reform law."Says whom ... more
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The Wall Street Journal reports that pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions will buy United BioSource, a business that conducts safety and comparative effectiveness research, for $730 million ... more
Virginia has created a task force to slow health costs and implement health care reform even as the state is suing to stop a key mandate in the law, The Washington Post reports. Gov. Bob McDonnell "in ... more
Cigna has become a player in the insurance industry's lobbying on what should count as medical care under new rules governing health care spending, Kaiser Health News and McClatchy report. "The insure ... more
The Los Angeles Times: "The Obama administration is sending $1-million grants to state insurance regulators to help increase oversight of rising health insurance premiums, a key step in implementing t ... more
Medical Protective has teamed up with the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) and created The AAFPRS Medical Protective�Insurance Program. "As the nation's leadi ... more
As noted here:"And so, by the stroke of a pen on March 23, the administration may well have set this country on an irreversible course toward a two-tier health insurance system - one for haves, and on ... more
Let's say that you're being treated for breast cancer. Four-and-a-half years ago, Bob observed that folks "really don t need health insurance for routine things like doctor visits for mundane afflic ... more
In response to complaints from Students for Life of America, the University of North Carolina system will allow students to opt out of abortion coverage in school-sponsored health insurance plans, the ... more
#8216;Landmark work #8217; moves beyond the bench ROCHESTER, Minn. #8212; Mayo Clinic investigators, with Belgian collaborators, have demonstrated that rationally #8220;guided #8221; human adult st ... more
We have this morning two apparently disparate items for your consideration.First up, from FoIB Jeff M, this rather startling video documenting the cost of "the undocumented:"That's a lot of money spen ... more
I've been giving more thought to the whole process of the new Ohio ObamaPool©, and have come to two conclusions (thus far):There are some rather stringent requirements put on me as an agent (see belo ... more
News outlets look at several hospital industry developments. Philadelphia Inquirer: A "local hospital group says the fastest-growing part of what hospitals call 'bad debt' -- basically, unc ... more
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Paula Oertel, whose brain tumor disappeared for nine years while she was on an expensive drug and returned after she temporarily lost her insurance coverage, has died as a ... more
A group of Arizona lawmakers has become the latest to challenge the federal health law as they "joined a conservative watchdog group Thursday in filing a 78-page lawsuit" challenging the law's mandate ... more
News outlets covered various conflicts about how to interpret the new health law. Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with USA Today, reports on insurers who are defending less generous "l ... more
Only this week I learned that HSA's will not reimburse over-the-counter medications without a doctor's prescription, starting January 1.So medications such as antacids, allergy sinus pills, laxative ... more
Reuters: "The Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday it is working with 24 states to crack down on sellers of medical discount plans that market them as health insurance that covers doctors, hospi ... more
News outlets consider the impact of health reform on insurers - who are seeking flexibility on mandates - as well as changes to premiums, small businesses and emergency room care. The Hill: Insurers a ... more
Although a 2009 Wisconsin law requiring all health insurance plans to offer birth control coverage means that thousands of church employees can access birth control through their health plans, one chu ... more
Unless a federal judge takes additional action, two antiabortion laws will take effect Sunday in Louisiana, according to groups on both sides of a lawsuit challenging the statutes, the New Orleans Tim ... more
U.S. regulators are cracking down on the growing number of companies that fraudulently sell so-called medical discount plans by telling consumers they work like health insurance and cover medical cost ... more
by David WilliamsOne of the big complaints about the recently enacted health care reform law is that it does little to control costs. There is some truth to that because the major focus is on inc ... more
Children #39;s premiums on Obamacare compliant health insurance plans are going up dramatically in a few weeks. This we already knew. Some health insurance companies have already stopped taking child ... more
The Los Angeles Times: "The top executives at the nation's five largest for-profit health insurance companies pulled in nearly $200 million in compensation last year - while their businesses prepared ... more
Health News Florida: "A former hospital executive has accused Naples-based Health Management Associates of offering money, free rent and private jet trips to entice doctors to refer Medicare patients ... more
It's in all the flyers and on commercials - and if you head to the stores, you know exactly what I'm talking about... back to school. School shopping - obtaining everything off the needed materials ... more
Visits to emergency departments in the USA increased substantially over a ten-year period ending in 2007, reveals a report in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). Between 1997 and 2007 ... more
On one hand, one could argue that Henri Termeer, the Genzyme ceo, might deserve every penny of a $23 million golden parachute in the event that Sanofi-Aventis or some other company acquires the troubl ... more
The Wall Street Journal Health Blog: A study by the Society of Actuaries has put the cost of medical errors in 2008 at nearly $20 billion. The study was "carried out by the actuarial and consulting fi ... more
From 1997 to 2007, the rates of visits to emergency departments in the U.S. increased significantly, particularly among adults with Medicaid, according to a study in the August 11 issue of JAMA. Emerg ... more
A Bitter Health Care Pill The Boston Globe Short of transforming the medical payment system, can we bring down health care costs by feasible fixes? Yes, by reducing the number of services that must be ... more
The Los Angeles Times: "The abrupt resignation last month of Anthem Blue Cross' president is offering a glimpse of an internal struggle that has roiled California's largest for-profit health insurer f ... more
Under the change of control agreement currently worth $23 million, Termeer would receive several payments. He would receive a lump sum of $11 million, a figure representing three times his b ... more
Under the change of control agreement currently worth $23 million, Termeer would receive several payments. He would receive a lump sum of $11 million, a figure representing three times his b ... more
FoIB Jeff M writes:"My wife's primary care provider is going out on her own and will no longer accept insurance, but her business model is a flat-fee based practice ... since the PA-C does not contrac ... more
After months of tense negotiations and negative publicity over its posture toward AIDS drug pricing for state programs, Bristol-Myers Squibb and the ADAP Crisis Task Force are close to reaching an agr ... more
by Brian Forrest, MDWhen I started a cash-only, direct-pay practice nine years ago, my reasons were simple: spend more time with my patients, provide better care, and live a better life.I was un ... more
An except from The Empowered Patient.by Elizabeth Cohen, MPHDid you ever see the Seinfeld episode where Elaine gets into trouble at the doctor s office? While she s waiting in the examining ... more
Don #39;t have health insurance? Pay a fine. Have too much health insurance? Pay a fine.Is this a great country or what?Obamacare decided to look to the Massachusetts Romneycare health insurance plan ... more
San Francisco Chronicle: Insurance rates may rise next year even more than anticipated because of the health overhaul for mid-sized companies. "While most major pieces of the new health law don't go i ... more
News outlets covered various aspects of health care politics. NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday interviewed Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli about the state's challenge to the federal g ... more
On Friday, six abortion clinics filed a federal lawsuit challenging two Louisiana abortion laws, including one (SB 528) that requires women seeking abortions to receive ultrasound exams and another (H ... more
The Wall Street Journal: Health insurance companies are moving to help doctors and hospitals adopt electronic medical records with subsidies, bonuses for adoption and, in some cases, digital products ... more
Kidney disease patients insured by some federally sponsored national health care organizations are more likely to undergo an important predialysis procedure than patients with other types of insurance ... more
Two recently released projections of what Obama Care (PPACA aka ACA) will do paint different pictures.The paper by the Medicare Trustees take the provisions as written,assume that the provisions will ... more
by Kevin Pho, MD In their most recent piece at Slate, emergency physicians Zachary F. Meisel and Jesse M. Pines tackle the issue of bouncebacks. That is, the re-admission of recen ... more
A new review of existing research suggests that health system workers can boost the number of children with medical insurance by providing application materials to parents and helping them fill out th ... more
On Thursday, Republican Sens. Tom Coburn (Okla.) and Orrin Hatch (Utah) introduced a bill, "Excluding Abortion Coverage from Health Reform Act," that would prohibit any health insurance plan, public o ... more
The Associated Press: Today, 20 states and the National Federation of Independent Business are planning "to file their response to the government's attempt to dismiss their lawsuit challenging Preside ... more
A federal research agency earlier had concluded that the new insurance program for the uninsured was not subject to previous limits on abortion coverage. ... more
The Medicare Board of Trustees announced that the economic outlook for both trust funds that support Medicare have been significantly improved thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, ... more
How #8217;s this for a budget battle? With all of the economic pain around the country, the Milwaukee teachers union has chosen an interesting issue over which to draw a line in the sand - they want a ... more
This recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) sought to answer the question, Do all patients with a torn anterior cruciate ligament need surgery? gasp even asking such a qu ... more
Consumers' Union recently published a report entitled "How Much is Too Much?" I've read the CU report carefully. I think it's much ado about nothing much.The CU report questions the surplus accumulat ... more
Pennsylvania begins enrolling residents in its new high-risk insurance program. Elsewhere, Wisconsin trims its Medicaid program and states regulate the use of medical marijuana. The Philade ... more
Patients line up Wednesday to check-in to the first free health clinic held in Washington, D.C., at the Washington Convention Center (Jessica Marcy/KHN). McClatchy Newspapers: "With a wounded econ ... more
The Government Accountability Office released a report Wednesday that says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services needs better oversight of Medicaid managed care contracts. The Hill ... more
When you purchase Obamacare health insurance there is a promise of a taxpayer subsidy to make the health insurance affordable. The folks at Kaiser Family Foundation have provided this handy dandy calc ... more
Like Ohio, Pennsylvania's now opened up their High Risk ObamaPool©. Called the PA Fair Care Plan, it's also built on what looks like an off-the-shelf PPO plan, with a few "tweaks." For example, only ... more
by George Lundberg, MD In early June, 2010, MedPage Today posted a survey question asking readers to identify the primary driver of rising healthcare costs. More than 1,200 readers re ... more
While we're quite hard on the MVNHS© and CanuckCare©, we would be remiss not to point out that these socialized medical schemes aren't the only ones with major issues. A major problem with goovernme ... more
News reports cover the progress and challenges of rolling out the sweeping health overhaul law. Associated Press: Health care reform hits another milestone next month, with new provisions t ... more
The Kansas City Star: "Missouri law now contains a direct challenge to the federal health care law passed earlier this year. Primary voters approved Proposition C by a wide margin Tuesday. ... The mea ... more
The Association for Independent Managers may have already sold 1,800 unauthorized policies in Florida that "could leave Floridians who buy the coverage without insurance when they need medical care," ... more
Looks like ObamaCare© is about to zing you again: ol' Andy is talking about this because he believes it? Please. First, as a senior citizen, he's about to see his own Medicare benefits - including ch ... more
If you have a medical problem that prevents you from getting health insurance, you better act fast. The folks who run the high risk medical pool (Obamapool) in Pennsylvania are putting residents on no ... more
Missouri voters sent Barack Obama and the Democrats in Washington a loud and clear message yesterday by voting no to Obamacare's mandate: About 71 percent of Missouri voters backed a ballot measure, P ... more
The Boston Globe: "Fourteen cities and towns that have moved their employees, retirees, and elected officials from their own municipal-based health care insurance plans into the state's much larger, m ... more
Missouri voters Tuesday are weighing in on a ballot measure that would ban laws from requiring people to have insurance in a vote that is sure to send a political message but may not have much legal i ... more
In a ruling issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson refused to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Virginia challenging a key aspect of the health care overhaul. The next round of arguments in this c ... more
Or not. Related posts:20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms Think there #8217;s a Unicorn under that manure pile that will... John Mackey: The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare #8211; WS ... more
Let's start at the top with the new "Grandfathering" provisions (which if course begs the obvious question: what about Grandma?). These make it pretty much impossible to keep the insurance that you cu ... more
AIM Health Plans, a "guaranteed issue ", allegedly HIPAA approved creditable plan, is gone. Actually it was closed down a few months ago and the managers tried to resurrect it as "new and improved " ... more
HHS Sebelius lost round one in U.S. District Court in Virginia today in the legal battle of personal rights granted under the Constitution vs. Obamacare. In his ruling, Judge Henry Hudson indicated Ob ... more
Spending on a disease like cancer tends to follow a particular pattern. There are high initial costs as the cancer is treated, and then, if all goes well, these costs taper off. Medical spending for ... more
Spending on a disease like cancer tends to follow a particular pattern. There are high initial costs as the cancer is treated, and then, if all goes well, these costs taper off. Medical spending for ... more
Medical Mutual of Ohio is the official carrier for Ohio's new ObamaPool©, and starting today, the pool is open for business:"Medical Mutual will begin accepting applications for the Ohio High Risk Po ... more
Report finds 15 million will get coverage, while 14.5 million will get better coverage Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Health Insurance, Health Statistics, Women's Health ... more
During the campaign and over a year of debate and backroom deals to get Obamacare passed, much was made about expanding the number of choices consumers will have for health insurance. Like most promis ... more
Much has been said about Obamacare, both pro and (mostly) con, but few have managed to so eloquently and succinctly sum up the impact of Obamacrap. Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute does his best t ... more
The White House on Thursday announced interim final regulations for the new high-risk insurance pools that do not include abortion on the list of services that will be covered, underscoring President ... more
Meanwhile, legislators from both political parties work to amend the new reform law. ... more
Nexium is a parable of what's wrong with health care. Along with so many other things, keeping a lid on spending seems to have gotten lost in the health care overhaul. In ... more
Nexium is a parable of what's wrong with health care. Along with so many other things, keeping a lid on spending seems to have gotten lost in the health care overhaul. In ... more
Approximately thirty million American women will gain from the new health reform law over the next ten years, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation based in New Yo ... more
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) presented results from a national survey which found that emotional barriers, such as stigma, fear, denial and shame, and structural barriers, such as lack of ... more
Premium subsidies, bans on higher premiums and coverage denials based on gender, and required maternity and newborn care coverage among most significant in reducing women #8217;s exposure to health co ... more
LONDON - (Mealey's) AstraZeneca PLC said July 29 that it has agreed in principle to settle with nearly 4,000 Seroquel product liability plaintiffs.The company said settlement terms are confidential.In ... more
LONDON - (Mealey's) AstraZeneca PLC said July 29 that it has agreed in principle to settle with nearly 4,000 Seroquel product liability plaintiffs.The company said settlement terms are confidential.In ... more
On the one hand, advances in med-tech have an adverse impact on the cost of health insurance; after all, the "new stuff" often (usually?) costs more, at least for first-adopters. Of course, a couple g ... more
Report finds 15 million will get coverage, while 14.5 million will get better coverage ... more
Aetna President Mark Bertolini said Wednesday that his company has seen much slower sales of national insurance accounts where large employers pay Aetna to administer plans for employees, The Associat ... more
Politico reports that business groups are preparing ads for the November elections and some are targeting health reform. "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has already vowed to invest $75 million in the mi ... more
On July 30, 2010, we celebrate 45 years of the Medicare program. In 1964, a year before Medicare was established, almost half of older Americans did not have health insurance, and only a quarter were ... more
The New York Times: "In an unusual move, a state government is developing regulations meant to stop doctors from prescribing higher doses of powerful - and often dangerous - pain killers for patients ... more
U.S. News World Report: Regulators are accusing the Tennessee-based American Trade Association of bilking consumers out of $14 million by selling fake health insurance to 26,000 households in all 50 ... more
Health insurers have started to back down "on their decision to pull out of the child-only coverage market after the Obama administration addressed their concerns about the potential damage to their b ... more
Thirty million women will benefit from the new health reform law over the next decade, either through new or strengthened insurance coverage, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund. In ... more
In a letter sent on Wednesday, 13 Republican senators asked HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for assurances that the new high-risk insurance pools will not provide coverage for abortion services, CQ He ... more
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced two key steps in the process of partnering with states and other stakeholders to begin establishing health insurance Exchanges. HHS announc ... more
Two things about the cancer-fighting drug Avastin stood out when it entered the market in 2004. The first was its promise. Avastin is part of a new generation of drugs that block the fo ... more
Two things about the cancer-fighting drug Avastin stood out when it entered the market in 2004. The first was its promise. Avastin is part of a new generation of drugs that block the fo ... more
From FoIB Jeff M, two interesting links. The first is good news for folks trying to figure out if they've saved enough to pay for any long term care needs that might arise, and if they might need to b ... more
The market, or lack thereof, for children's health insurance is changing daily. I got a memo earlier today from Cigna stating that any policy written for a 10/1/2010 effective date or later that conta ... more
A Fair Exchange The New York Times The battle over health care reform won't end just because Republicans and Democrats find they can cooperate on exchanges. But a commitment to establishing exchanges ... more
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed the new regulations for collaborative care arrangements contained in the Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2010. These c ... more
The Washington Post: New census data reveal big differences among states in the rate of uninsured people under age 65. Massachusetts has the lowest rate, 7.8 percent, and Texas the highest, 26.8 perce ... more
Over the past few weeks, Bristol-Myers Squibb was implored to lower the price of its Reyataz AIDS drug, given the funding crisis facing a growing number of state ADAP programs, which provide AIDS and ... more
The Associated Press is reporting that Washington has agreed to let health insurance companies utilize an open enrollment period for children applying for health insurance under Obamacare.Insurers wer ... more
Meet one-therd of your new health care system (click to enlarge): Via The Joint Economic Committee (Hat tip - Patterico) "In addition to capturing the massive expansion of government and the overwh ... more
Russia will undergo a $15.1 billion overhaul of its health care sector, including changes to its medical insurance system as well as health care delivery across the country, according to BMJ News. It ... more
Anthem Blue Cross of California has named former Aetna executive Pam Kehaly to head the insurer after its president resigned a week ago, Los Angeles Times reports. "Kehaly will take the helm Aug. 30. ... more