Health insurance plans rank ahead of cable TV service in survey
People like their health insurance plans more than their cable TV service, but less than their pharmacies and real-estate agents, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. About two thirds of people...
View ArticleA.M. Best quietly drops ratings of over 125 health insurers, Blues plans
In a move that has received little public or industry attention, and which highlights the uncertainty of the future of the health insurance industry — not to mention the volatility of the current...
View ArticleHealth care costs expected to rise 10.5% in next year, insurers say
Insurance companies are expecting health care costs to increase by an average of 10.5% over the next year, slightly less than the prior year, according to Aon Consulting. A survey of more than 60...
View ArticleCalifornia forces HMOs to limit patient wait times
California became the first state to mandate that HMOs in the state provide care to their members within set time limits, a move that health plans say could lead to higher premiums. The new rules,...
View ArticleMd. Health Care Commission finds web partner for small-group plans
The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) has awarded a contract to Charleston, S.C.-based software provider Benefitfocus to develop a web portal for small businesses to find health insurance. The new...
View ArticleManaged Health fined $1 million over Medicare agent licensing issues
Failure to properly license its agents for Medicare Advantage business will cost a New York health provider a $1 million fine by state regulators. Patricia Wang New York, N.Y.-based Managed Health...
View ArticleIBC to pay doctors for quality, using new pay-for-performance model
Independence Blue Cross will compensate its in-network doctors with a pay-for-performance model, a move it says will save money while improving the quality of health care. The shift would be a...
View ArticleHealth reform, other forces to push employer premiums up 8.8% in 2011
Federal health reform is being blamed for up to one-quarter of the increase to employers and employees’ health insurance costs for 2011, according to a new analysis. The effects of health reform, along...
View ArticleConsumers don’t understand health insurance, need transparency
More than half of adults report they are confused about health insurance when choosing which plan to purchase, a new survey found. Survey participants had trouble understanding the total cost of a...
View ArticleN.Y regulators to conduct surprise audits on insurers, HMOs
The New York Department of Financial Services will use a recently acquired grant to analyze the administration systems of insurers and health maintenance organizations for cost efficiency. The...
View ArticleHorizon ratings downgraded as earnings continue to decline
Newark, N.J.-based Horizon had its ratings outlook downgraded from “stable” to “negative,” the result of three straight years of earnings declines, according to Standard & Poor’s. Horizon...
View ArticleVirginia Health Information offers comparison tool for HMOs
For the 11th year, non-profit health organization Virginia Health Information is making available an online reporting tool that compares and tracks the performance of 60 key cost and quality...
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