Health savings accounts growing in popularity

Wednesday 30 April 2008 at 6:17 pm By KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 6 million people are enrolled in health insurance plans that allow them to also open health savings accounts, nearly double estimates from just two years ago, according to new industry projections.

But critics of health savings accounts were not deterred by the enrollment figures. They released a separate report Wednesday from the Government Accountability Office that said taxpayers with health savings accounts had an adjusted gross income averaging about $139,000 in 2005, versus $57,000 for all other filers. (more)

HealthPass, UnitedHealthcare Join Forces to Offer Affordable Oxford Health Insurance Products to Sole Proprietors in NYC and Long Island

Wednesday 30 April 2008 at 3:08 pm NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In their ongoing effort to cover the working uninsured, HealthPass and UnitedHealthcare, two of New York City's leading providers of health insurance tailored for small business, are joining forces for the first time to offer affordable, high-quality health insurance products to sole proprietors under the Oxford product brand. Oxford is the exclusive small business brand offered by UnitedHealthcare in New York.

HealthPass, a New York City-based non-profit agency dedicated to improving access to health coverage for small businesses, today announced a strategic relationship with UnitedHealthcare to offer a suite of health insurance products under the Oxford brand. These plans, which are the only sole proprietor plans currently available through HealthPass, are designed exclusively for sole proprietors whose businesses are based in the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island. The partnership offers entrepreneurs in these geographic areas access to affordable, high quality health insurance. Sole proprietors who live outside of New York City or Long Island, but whose businesses are based there, will also be eligible to purchase insurance through this agreement. (more)

Health insurance: a necessary hassle

Wednesday 30 April 2008 at 3:03 pm Aaron Sheldon
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: Features

The majority of college students with health insurance are receiving it from their employers, which may show that employee benefits are becoming increasingly crucial.

Out of 80 percent of college students aged 18 to 23 who receive health insurance, 67 percent are covered through employer-sponsored plans, according to a March study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). (more)

Health-Care Insurance Frustrations

Wednesday 30 April 2008 at 3:00 pm John Connors's April 18 letter in response to Jonathan Kellerman's April 14 op-ed "The Health Insurance Mafia," asserts that payers and providers have a vested interest in maintaining the current health-care reimbursement system. Further, he argues that "the system" doesn't want patients making cost-benefit decisions because it is "inefficient" and "time consuming and distracting" for providers. (more)

McCain rejects 'big government' takeover of health care

Monday 28 April 2008 at 3:09 pm (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain on Monday rejected a "big government" takeover of the health care system, saying he wants to empower families to make more medical decisions.

"I've made it very clear that what I want is for families to make decisions about their health care, not government, and that's the fundamental difference between myself and Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton," McCain told reporters in Miami, Florida, referring to the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

"They want the government to make the decisions, I want the families to make decisions," he said. (more)

Health care worries grow among voters

Monday 28 April 2008 at 3:06 pm Losing coverage, access to doctors major concerns
By Bill Ainsworth
U-T SACRAMENTO BUREAU

April 28, 2008

SACRAMENTO - Lawmakers rejected a major health care overhaul in January, pushing the issue off the state political agenda for the year.
But a new Field Poll shows deep worries about the health care system and strong support for the defeated proposal. (more)

Students sick of poor health insurance options

Monday 28 April 2008 at 3:04 pm A student fights back and forth with her insurance company over reimbursement for more than a year, with her bills being sent to collection agencies in the meantime. Another eschews health care altogether despite his crippling injury in order to avoid the almost-guaranteed financial battle that visiting a doctor would spark.

Stories like these - both of which happened to Tufts students - often don't make the headlines in America's fight to get health care for all. In Massachusetts, students have been required to have insurance for almost 20 years, so attention is focused elsewhere. Unfortunately, a plan that might have worked 20 years ago is desperately in need of reform today. (more)

Employer-Provided Health Insurance Erodes Across the Board

Monday 28 April 2008 at 3:03 pm Overall, about 6.4 million fewer workers had employer-provided health insurance in 2006 than in 2000. This trend contrasts with the time period between 1995 and 2000, when the share of workers covered by their employers increased nationally, from 49.6 percent to 51.1 percent, according to the report, "A Decade of Decline: The Erosion of Employer-Provided Health Care in the United States and California, 1995-2006," released by the Economic Policy Institute. (more)

Drugmakers aren't responsible for rising health care costs

Friday 25 April 2008 at 1:32 pm By Brett J. Skinner
Rising health care costs are all too often attributed to spending on prescription drugs. However, the argument becomes a difficult pill to swallow once a few facts are known.
The most recent Statistics Canada data show that over the past 10 years, total provincial government health spending across Canada grew at an average annual rate of 7.3%, compared with 5.9% for total available provincial revenue from all sources and 5.6% for gross domestic product (GDP). Clearly, this indicates the growth in public health spending is not sustainable.
But spending on drugs is not the primary cause of cost pressures on public health insurance. The most recent update to an annual study by the Fraser Institute confirms again that even if governments spent nothing on drugs, spending on all other medical goods and services would still be rising at an unsustainable rate. (more)

Insurance costs force area residents to go without

Friday 25 April 2008 at 1:30 pm Many lacking coverage gamble against health risks
By ABBEY STIRGWOLT
Advocate Reporter

NEWARK -- When patients approach Jacqueline Jones with doubts about their ability to pay for medical treatment, she tells them to focus on their well-being -- not their wallets.

The medical oncologist and chief of staff at Licking Memorial Hospital said she often wonders how much better off some patients would have been had they set aside their fears about financing their treatment. (more)

But Blue Cross calls for high-risk pool

Friday 25 April 2008 at 1:29 pm LANSING -- Sen. Tom George, chair of the committee examining proposed changes to Michigan's individual insurance market, attempted to broker compromises Thursday by asking that only policies that have the greatest support and that will benefit consumers the most be adopted.

"Can we focus on what we agree on?" asked George, R-Kalamazoo, and chair of the Senate Health Policy Committee.

George said he favors shelving many of the proposals sought either by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan or members of his own committee to manage the state's growing individual insurance market.

The legislative fight centers on insurance plans held by about 322,000 Michiganders, a growing number of whom are forced to buy their own insurance as they lose jobs or as employers drop workplace health benefits. (more)

DoJ pledges cooperation in US health insurance scam probe

Friday 25 April 2008 at 1:27 pm By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:52:00 04/25/2008


MANILA, Philippines -- Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said on Friday the Philippines will cooperate with the US government in prosecuting individuals and firms responsible for swindling more than $100 million from the US military's health insurance program.

Gonzalez told reporters he was not ruling out the extradition of the individuals involved in the scheme but he warned that the procedures may get lengthy and obfuscating. (more)

Insurance industry opposes mandated autism coverage

Wednesday 23 April 2008 at 12:06 pm By JIM SAUNDERS and ANNE GEGGIS
Staff Writers

TALLAHASSEE -- With families struggling to pay for costly treatment, Florida lawmakers are debating proposals that could lead to health-insurance coverage for autistic children.

The House and Senate this week are moving forward with plans that could force health insurers to cover autism and possibly funnel more families into a state insurance program.

But the issue is wrapped in concerns about increased insurance costs that have forced many businesses to drop or scale back coverage for their employees in recent years.

Supporters say treatments such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy can be critical for autistic children, particularly if the condition is diagnosed early in their lives. (more)

Just How Secure Is Your Employer-Based Health Insurance?

Wednesday 23 April 2008 at 12:05 pm By Maggie Mahar, Health Beat. Posted April 23, 2008.

Many workers believe that if they keep their job, their insurance is safe. That may have been true in the '90s, but not now, not even for top execs.

Last week, the Economic Policy Institute released a disturbing report revealing just how many white-collar workers have lost their employer-based health insurance in recent years -- even though they didn't change jobs.

Many workers believe that if they hold onto their job, their insurance is safe. Professionals with jobs near the top of the occupational ladder are especially likely to assume that their employer is not going to cut their coverage. That may well have been true in the 1990s, when the job market was tight -- but not today. (more)

Understanding health insurance is an exercise in insanity

Wednesday 23 April 2008 at 11:56 am ELISE PATKOTAK
COMMENT

Published: April 22nd, 2008 11:15 PM
Last Modified: April 22nd, 2008 03:04 AM

A couple of weeks ago, a columnist in this paper said we should not confuse health insurance with health care. Excluding references to Paris Hilton having no discernible talent, that may be the biggest understatement to ever appear in print. (more)

House Expected to Vote This Morning on Health Insurance Bill

Wednesday 23 April 2008 at 11:34 am The state House of Representatives is planning to vote this morning on a plan that would permit municipalities, some contractors, nonprofit organizations and small businesses to provide health insurance to their workers under the plan that now covers state employees.

The new entrants would be charged the same premiums now charged to state employees, would be permitted to require employee contributions to defray costs, and would be required to enroll in the plan for three years, with an option to renew for another three-year period afterward, according to an analysis of the bill. (more)

HealthNow crafting retirees' insurance

Tuesday 22 April 2008 at 1:38 pm Company making plan specific for population
By Jonathan Epstein
Updated: 04/22/08 6:44 AM

The parent of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York is developing a new insurance plan geared specifically for early retirees who are no longer covered as active workers but are not yet eligible for Medicare.

Buffalo-based HealthNow New York officials said the company is still in the early stages of creating the new product, aimed at consumers aged 52 to 64. The goal is to develop something that would be affordable for both retirees and the employer, and hopefully to launch it for next year. (more)

The Health Insurance Dilemma: 1 Vs. 100

Tuesday 22 April 2008 at 1:31 pm According to Bob Graboyes, senior health care advisor to the National Federation of Independent Business, the NFIB has no desire to " 'push people away from employer coverage' but, rather, [wants] to offer individuals a level playing field on which to choose employer or individual coverage." (He's quoting me there.) In our conversation last week, Bob elaborated on one of the NFIB's favorite leveling ideas: allow individuals to deduct all of their health care costs from their income taxes. Currently, only employers who provide insurance can deduct the expense from their income. "The current tax treatment of health insurance benefits creates a bias for providing health care through employers and, in some cases, encourages businesses to purchase lavish plans because the benefits are not taxed as ordinary income would be," Bob said. " A more level market ought to lower the price for individual policies and for employer-based policies. The difference between costs of individual and employer-based policies would almost certainly narrow." (more)

U.S. health insurance premiums continue to rise

Tuesday 22 April 2008 at 1:26 pm Self-employed insurance premiums rise 18 percent, group health premiums rise 34 percent
04/21/2008
WASHINGTON-Average annual premiums for people buying their own health insurance rose nearly 18 percent between 2002 and 2005, according to new statistics by federal researchers.

In 2002, an American with an individual (non-group) health insurance plan paid an annual average of $3,111. That number rose to $3,664 in 2005-an increase of 17.8 percent. The findings were published in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's latest News and Numbers release.

There were 6 million Americans with individual insurance plans in 2002 and 2005. In both those years, 4.1 million people had single-policy plans whereas 1.8 million people held family policies, according to AHRQ. (more)

Survey: Support for national health insurance grows among physicians

Tuesday 22 April 2008 at 1:25 pm by Kathlyn Stone

We can stop taking everyone else's word for how U.S. physicians feel about national health insurance. When surveyed, 59 percent say they now support national health insurance, a 10 percent increase in support from five years ago.

According to a survey undertaken last year by Indiana University School of Medicine and published in the April 1 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, support for national health insurance is strongest among psychiatrists (83 percent), pediatric sub-specialists (71 percent), emergency medicine physicians (69 percent), general pediatricians (65 percent), general internists (64 percent) and family physicians (60 percent). (more)

Jerome H. Grossman, Health Care Policy Expert, Is Dead at 68

Monday 21 April 2008 at 3:24 pm Dr. Jerome H. Grossman, a health care analyst at Harvard and leading hospital administrator who was influential in applying engineering solutions to make medical care more efficient, died on April 1 at his home in Boston. He was 68.

The cause was renal cell carcinoma, his family said.

Trained as an internist, Dr. Grossman saw a need early in his career for more accurate, complete and portable medical histories. In the late 1960s, relying on the emerging technology of computers, he and others at Massachusetts General Hospital advocated an "automated" records system that could be easily tapped by everyone involved in a patient's treatment. (more)

Before Medicare, Sticker Shock and Rejection

Monday 21 April 2008 at 3:16 pm RELAXING For Kathy and Henry Hamman, a new life in Sewanee, Tenn., has meant less stress, except for the health insurance.

By FRED BROCK
Published: April 21, 2008
IF you want to retire before you are 65 and eligible for Medicare, health insurance is vital to your plans. Without it, you risk losing everything.

Less than a third of employers offer retiree health benefits, down from almost half in 1993, according to a survey by the Mercer Health and Benefits consulting firm. Those without retiree health benefits who are eligible can use a patchwork of federal and state laws to build an insurance bridge - although an expensive one - to Medicare. (more)

Opposing view: Health plans manage costs

Monday 21 April 2008 at 2:46 pm Congress should promote studies, alternatives to pricey new drugs.
By Karen Ignagni

The development of new specialty biopharmaceuticals offers hope to all of us. These drugs make it possible to treat diseases for which there are few available therapies, and they provide new options where treatments already exist. But we face two challenges with these single-source drugs: their exorbitant price tags that bear little relation to the cost of producing them, and the lack of incentive for manufacturers to make these drugs more affordable.

Patients and doctors have no way to compare these new drugs with existing drugs, devices and therapies or to evaluate their safety and value. For many of them, there are no head-to-head studies showing whether they are better than existing treatments. (more)

Our view on health care: Beware drug co-pays, no-pays

Monday 21 April 2008 at 2:44 pm Insurance 'tiered' pricing makes the sickest pay the most for medicine.
For all the complexity of health insurance, the idea behind it is pretty simple. You and millions of other people pay premiums so that those who get sick will be protected, particularly if the illness is severe or debilitating. But increasingly - and to policyholders' surprise - that's not the case when someone needs the most expensive drugs.

Policyholders might find out only when they or a family member suffer a serious illness - such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or many types of cancer. Then they are faced with a financial catastrophe on top of a health crisis: Costs can run as high as $100,000 a year for some medicine needed to cope with a serious disease. (more)

Panel calls for affordable insurance for all

Friday 18 April 2008 at 2:26 pm State lawmakers lay out the reforms they say are needed to cover Utahns

By Heather May
The Salt Lake Tribune

State lawmakers in charge of health care reform said they aren't interested in incremental steps, industry executives and advocates who want to protect their turf, or "cry babies."
In the state's inaugural health care task force meeting Thursday, lawmakers explained their expectations for major reform that will rein in costs, make health care more affordable and boost access to insurance. While the group received nearly a quarter of its 2006 campaign donations from insurance companies, hospitals and other medical groups, members vowed there would be no sacred cows. (more)

Health Insurance Companies Ordered To Reinstate Canceled Policies

Friday 18 April 2008 at 2:24 pm Los Angeles (dbTechno) - California state health officials have ordered the largest health insurance companies in the state to reinstate 26 health policies which officials say were improperly canceled. The investigation will continue as they look over every case in California where a person had their health insurance policy canceled.

The state health officials have confirmed that they will be reviewing thousands more cases in the coming months as well.

The statw Department of Managed Health Care will review the case of every single person in California who has had their health insurance policy canceled in the past four years. (more)

Universal Health Care to Cost Massachusetts More Than Was Budgeted

Friday 18 April 2008 at 2:21 pm By KEVIN SACK
Published: April 17, 2008
In its first full year, universal health coverage in Massachusetts will cost the state $153.1 million more than was budgeted, according to a supplemental budget request released Monday by Gov. Deval Patrick. The state had appropriated $472 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, but enrollment in the state's subsidized insurance programs for low- and middle-income workers exceeded expectations. About 340,000 of the state's estimated 600,000 uninsured have gained coverage since Massachusetts began requiring health insurance. (more)

Lawmakers approve major health insurance reform

Friday 18 April 2008 at 2:18 pm Apr 18 2008 11:47AM EDT

A House committee approved a bill that would require health insurance firms to get prior approval for rate hikes, punish them for improper denial of claims and encourage efficiencies, despite claims from the industry that it will drive up costs.

The plan, dubbed the Fair & Accountable Insurance Act (House Bill 1389) was approved Thursday by the House Business Affairs & Labor Committee. It now goes to the House Appropriations Committee.

Rep. Morgan Carroll, a Democrat from Aurora, said insurance companies currently are allowed to increase rates at will and get approval from the Division of Insurance later. She said they are rarely punished if increases are found to be unjustified. (more)

Maine Governor Signs Bill to Contain Health Insurance Costs and Expand Coverage

Thursday 17 April 2008 at 8:11 pm April 16, 2008 -- AUGUSTA - Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today signed LD 2247, An Act to Continue Maine's Leadership in Covering the Uninsured. The bill seeks to contain rising costs of insurance and will enable DirigoChoice to expand enrollment after the bill becomes law.

"Maine has been a leader in providing quality health care coverage," Governor Baldacci said. "When we began working on Dirigo Health Reform in 2003, Maine was the first state in the nation to make achieving universal coverage a goal, and today states across the country are following our lead. When we began Maine had the highest rate of uninsured in New England, today we have the lowest. This bill continues our leadership. We will continue to make insurance more affordable and work to contain rising health care costs." (more)

Los Angeles Files Lawsuit Alleging Anthem Blue Cross Illegally Canceled Health Insurance Policies

Thursday 17 April 2008 at 8:09 pm Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Anthem Blue Cross alleging the insurer violated more than 25 state and federal laws and "sold people false promises of coverage and concealed a scheme to renege on policies for those diagnosed with serious and often expensive medical conditions," the Los Angeles Times reports. Delgadillo claims the insurer issued false promises of coverage and concealed a plan to rescind the policies for patients diagnosed with serious and costly medical conditions. The suit seeks restitution for patients left with medical bills and more than $1 billion in penalties. (more)

Health-care reform group: If system to change, 'what is it you're willing to give up?'

Thursday 17 April 2008 at 8:08 pm State lawmakers in charge of health-care reform said they aren't interested in incremental steps, industry executives and advocates who want to protect their turf, or "cry babies."
In the state's inaugural health care task force meeting Thursday, lawmakers explained their expectations for major reform that will rein in costs, make health care more affordable and boost access to insurance. While the group received nearly a quarter of its 2006 campaign donations from insurance companies, hospitals and other medical groups, members vowed there would be no sacred cows. (more)

New Health Insurance Options Available for Small Businesses in Washington

Thursday 17 April 2008 at 8:06 pm Copyright: Business Wire

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2008--Washington-based small businesses with two to 100 employees now have access to a host of commercial health benefit options through a partnership between UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) company, and Affiliated Associations of America (AAOA).

AAOA offers various member benefit programs for chambers of commerce, trade associations and professional organizations that in turn share these benefits with their own members. AAOA offers a variety of programs and benefits to its members including health care coverage. (more)

State aims to help children without insurance

Wednesday 16 April 2008 at 3:00 pm Inspired by Howard County's success in finding uninsured children eligible for federal health coverage, state officials are launching a search of their own.

Health officials are preparing to mail notices to tens of thousands of people across Maryland whose family members might be eligible for a federal program that provides access to affordable health care.

A bill approved this month by the General Assembly directs the comptroller's office to review state tax information to determine who might be eligible and then notify the families. (more)

American Independence Corp. Announces Acquisition of National Marketing Organization Distributing Individual Major Medical Policies

Wednesday 16 April 2008 at 2:58 pm STAMFORD, Conn. & NEW YORK, Apr 15, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- American Independence Corp. (NASDAQ: AMIC) today announced that it has significantly expanded its ability to sell individual and limited medical plans to the self-employed, under-insured and uninsured markets through the acquisition of the assets of Insurance Producers Group of America, Inc. and its operating subsidiaries. AMIC owns a 51% interest in the company resulting from the acquisition, which has been renamed Independent Producers of America, LLC ("IPA"). IPA operates under a controlled career agent distribution model in which independent producers sell products approved by IPA and AMIC. It is expected that, within 12 months, the majority of the premium generated will be placed through Independence American Insurance Company ("Independence American"), AMIC's insurance carrier subsidiary, although it is anticipated that in certain states (and for certain ancillary benefits) other carriers (including those owned by Independence Holding Company ("IHC")) will also be utilized. IHC will also benefit through its 49.7% ownership interest in AMIC, and Independence American will cede a portion of the premium it generates from IPA to one of IHC's insurance companies. (more)

State Senate panel to study Blue Cross bills

Wednesday 16 April 2008 at 2:55 pm One of the biggest legislative battles of the year continues in Lansing today over whether a for-profit company owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan should be allowed to sell more than workers compensation insurance.

The Senate Health Policy Committee will examine two bills designed to allow the Accident Fund, a Lansing-based subsidiary of nonprofit Blue Cross, to sell property, auto, life and casualty insurance.

The committee, chaired by Sen. Thomas George, R-Portage, will probe Blue Cross' claim that the Accident Fund expansion could hold down health insurance costs because the company would give back to Blue Cross profits it receives from its subsidiaries. (more)

Millions to be sought in breast-cancer settlement: lawyer

Wednesday 16 April 2008 at 2:52 pm A St. John's lawyer representing hundreds of breast cancer patients says he has already begun work on an out-of-court settlement he expects will involve millions of dollars.

Ches Crosbie, who in 2006 filed the claim that led to a class action lawsuit against Eastern Health, was responding to a provocative comment earlier this week from Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams, who said he believed Eastern Health has some liability in the suit.

Crosbie said the insurer for Eastern Health came to the table around the same time witnesses began their testimony last month at a judicial inquiry examining what went wrong at a pathology lab that produced hundreds of wrong results on hormone receptor testing over an eight-year period. (more)

Crist's plan on health care is decent start

Tuesday 15 April 2008 at 11:54 am By the Times Editorial Board
Published Monday, April 14, 2008 6:32 PM

The news is mostly grim when it comes to access to health coverage in Florida. This state has the nation's third-highest uninsured rate in the nation, with more than 3.8-million Floridians lacking health insurance. Deep spending cuts in Medicaid loom just ahead. About the only bright spot is Gov. Charlie Crist's modest effort to create affordable basic policies aimed at working-class Floridians, which would offer incremental progress until there is the will and the means for universal coverage. (more)

Dan Juneau: "Insurance mandates drive up health-care costs"

Tuesday 15 April 2008 at 11:49 am Sometimes it is true that the more things change, the more they remain the same. That may be the case with our new Legislature and the issue of health insurance mandates.

Many employers and their employees find it difficult to pay the ever-increasing cost of health insurance. One culprit forcing insurance premiums upward is when our Legislature mandates that any policy written must cover certain conditions, services and procedures. The providers of these services and products are often the impetus for the legislation. No single mandate causes premiums to soar but, collectively, they add significantly to the cost and, as costs go up, premiums increase. Higher costs force those who are insured into higher deductibles, greater co-pays and less coverage. The irony of mandates is that they reduce the basic coverage of those who are insured to provide specialty coverage for others. (more)

Clinton, Obama differ slightly on health plans

Tuesday 15 April 2008 at 11:48 am For both, reducing the number of people without health insurance is a priority.
By Stacey Burling

Inquirer Staff Writer

The third of three articles examining key issues in the Democratic primary.
Both Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama say they want to help the kind of people who filled a health clinic waiting room in Bensalem on a recent morning.

Twenty uninsured patients were at the BCHIP office in a strip shopping center where a doctor and nurse treated their diabetes, asthma, and liver and heart problems for free. (more)

Lack of insurance takes toll

Tuesday 15 April 2008 at 11:46 am Yet another estimate makes point that lives depend on health plans

In far too many cases in modern America, people don't die of what they have. They die of what they don't have.

What they have is diabetes, heart disease, emphysema, cancer. And, when they breathe their last, that's what someone will write on the death certificate.

What they don't have is health insurance. And, when they expire, they and their grieved and aggrieved loved ones will know that that absence is likely what did them in. (more)

A deadly choice

Monday 14 April 2008 at 12:52 pm Deciding between rhetoric and lives

The lack of health insurance kills six Floridians a day, according to a recent report by Families USA. People die because they don't get the preventative health care that would catch serious conditions such as cancer while they're still treatable, or because progressive illnesses like heart disease and diabetes aren't controlled with medication and oversight. The group estimates that 2400 Floridians between the ages of 25 and 64 died in 2006 because they lacked insurance.

Despite health programs targeted at them, many of Florida's children also go without the care they need. A separate report, published by the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration, All Children's Hospital and Nemours, estimates that one in every 10 Florida children don't get the basic health-care services they need to grow up healthy. Many of those children lack insurance, but some have nominal coverage that doesn't meet their needs, the report concluded. (more)

The Health Insurance Mafia

Monday 14 April 2008 at 12:50 pm By JONATHAN KELLERMAN
April 14, 2008; Page A15

Most discussions about the rising cost of health care emphasize the need to get more people insured. The assumption seems to be that insurance - rather than the service delivered by doctor to patient - is the important commodity.

But perhaps the solution to much of what currently plagues us in health care - rising costs and bureaucracy, diminishing levels of service - rests on a radically different approach: fewer people insured. (more)

Rising Health Care Costs Challenge Massachusetts Health Insurance Law

Monday 14 April 2008 at 12:49 pm Two years after the Massachusetts health insurance law was signed, the state's "biggest challenge is rising costs," the AP/Boston Globe reports. Since the law took effect, the number of insured state residents increased by nearly 350,000 people. A legislative committee in 2006 estimated that the law would cost about $725 million in fiscal year 2009. Gov. Deval Patrick (D) has allocated $869 million for the program in this year's budget, but state officials overseeing the program say costs will rise even higher. Lawmakers are considering a $1-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax to help pay for the higher-than-expected enrollment. The tax increase would generate about $154 million annually, the AP/Globe reports. (more)

Opinion | Health Insurance Industry Functions Similar to 'Mafia,' Opinion Piece States

Monday 14 April 2008 at 12:47 pm The health insurance industry is "closest to the parasitic relationship imposed by the Mafia," with companies "raking in hefty profits and bloating cost, without providing any benefit at all," Jonathan Kellerman, a clinical professor of pediatrics and psychology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and a novelist, writes in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. According to Kellerman, in any industry, the "middleman interposed between seller and buyer raises the price of a given service or product," and, although some "intermediaries justify this by providing benefits" or physical facilities, health insurers "provide nothing other than an ambiguous, shifty notion of 'protection.'" (more)

Hospitals, businesses and advocates took politics out of health insurance and covered 100,000 more kids.

Friday 11 April 2008 at 7:31 pm Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Say the words "Texas" and "health insurance," and it's pretty certain that "worst," "last" or "lost chances" will follow close behind. Last year, though, Texas leaders got fed up with the selfishly politicized plight of uninsured children and made two powerful changes.

The results are better than the state's health commission could have imagined. After an unpromising start, the Legislature changed a bad law and partially restored CHIP, the federal/state child health insurance program for the working poor. Then hospitals, schools and businesses collaborated with child health activists to get eligible youngsters signed up. (more)

Bargaining phase is up next for health plan at Minn. Capitol

Friday 11 April 2008 at 7:24 pm By MARTIGA LOHN Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press - Friday, April 11, 2008

ST. PAUL

After months of task-force work and countless hours of legislative deliberation, final negotiations are set to begin on a health care proposal aimed at getting more people affordable health insurance.

The plan to push doctors to keep their patients out of the hospital and make sure most Minnesotans get insurance passed the House 83-50 on Thursday after a long debate about government's role in medicine.

The vote sends the bill on for negotiations with the Senate. (more)

Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Approves Increase In Affordability Standards

Friday 11 April 2008 at 7:21 pm The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector on Thursday approved new rules that increase the monthly premium considered affordable by about 10% from 2007 levels, the Boston Globe reports. Under the state's health insurance law, residents who do not obtain coverage face a penalty of up to $912 if they are uninsured for the whole year unless the state determines that they are unable to afford coverage.

The new rules establish a sliding scale based on income and family size that indicates whether the state considers premiums affordable. For example, according to the sliding scale, an individual with an annual income of more than $52,500 would be considered able to afford coverage regardless of the premium, while an individual who earns between $37,501 and $42,500 annually would be required to purchase coverage if the premium was $220 per month or less. The new rules will be finalized after the Connector holds a public hearing and a second vote. (more)

Which is deadlier? Mystery illness or health insurance company?

Friday 11 April 2008 at 7:20 pm by Geoff Williams Apr 11th 2008 @ 5:00PM

Filed under: Charity, Relationships

What would happen if you developed a mystery illness, and what would happen if your insurance carrier found a way to weasel out of paying for it?

Hopefully you'll never find out. But if want to know what it's like, you can ask Lori Hall Steele.

I heard about her story earlier today, and I read about her in this recent article in her hometown paper, and all I could think was that Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain should be all over this, the next time any of them get into a health care debate or discussion. If there was ever an argument for universal health insurance, it seems like this would be it -- well, among thousands of other sad tales out there, obviously. (more)

Lack Of Health Insurance Is Matter Of Life Or Death

Thursday 10 April 2008 at 1:34 pm Washington (eCanadaNow) - It seems that health insurance truly is a matter of life or death. A new study has revealed that not having health insurance puts people at a much higher risk of death and other medical problems throughout their life.

The non-profit group Families USA put out the study, stating that people who do not have health insurance are putting their own health in danger.

The study found that people who do not have health insurance are 25% more likely to die prematurely compared to people with private health insurance. (more)

Massachusetts AG Files Brief Challenging President Bush's Child Health Insurance Limits

Thursday 10 April 2008 at 1:32 pm The amicus brief argues that an August 17, 2007, letter sent from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to all 50 states fundamentally altered the rules governing the State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) and effectively denies federally-funded health coverage to certain low-income children. The brief further states that CMS's letter is invalid because the federal agency failed to adhere to federal rulemaking requirements.

"SCHIP has been a great success as a federal/state partnership, allowing Massachusetts to provide affordable health insurance to children of families making less than 300% of the federal poverty level," said Attorney General Coakley. "With the stroke of a pen, the Bush administration is simply changing the rules and placing health insurance for low-income children into question." (more)

Legislature can still boost children's health insurance

Thursday 10 April 2008 at 1:27 pm Published: April 9th, 2008 11:39 PM
Last Modified: April 9th, 2008 04:39 AM

The Senate Finance Committee breathed some life this week into a bill that would expand the state's health care insurance program for low-income children and pregnant women.

The committee finally moved the bill along to the next step.

That's good news, though it will be a stretch to get the bill passed by both houses of the Legislature before adjournment, scheduled Sunday. (more)

Insurance Reforms Pass California Senate Health Committee

Thursday 10 April 2008 at 1:23 pm SB1522 (Steinberg) would set standards for coverage, weed out "junk" insurance
. SB1440 (Kuehl) would require a minimum percentage of premium dollars for patient care
. Health reforms geared to improve the value of coverage, while not costing state money

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Care Policy Coordinator
Health Access California

Two bills that would begin to tame the state's "wild, wild west" health insurance market passed the first policy committee on Wednesday, maintaining the forward momentum of health reform discussions. (more)

Lack Of Health Insurance Could Prove To Be Deadly

Wednesday 09 April 2008 at 2:40 pm Boston (dbTechno) - According to a new study, not having health insurance could prove deadly in the long run. The study was put out by the non-profit group Families USA, and stated that people who do not have health insurance, put their well-being in danger.

The report stated that people who not not have health insurance tend to skip out on many common things. This includes check-ups at the doctors, as well as other preventive care. It could be annual screenings, vaccines, all of that routine stuff. (more)

Lack of health insurance takes toll on Ga.

Wednesday 09 April 2008 at 2:38 pm Nearly 19 Georgians die every week due to lack of health insurance, according to a report published Tuesday by Families USA.

That number means about 1,000 Georgians died in 2006 for the same reason, the national organization for health-care consumers said. And between 2000 and 2006, the Washington, D.C.-based organization estimates more than 6,000 Georgians between the ages of 25 and 64 died because they did not have health insurance.

Nationally, about 22,000 Americans without health insurance died between 2000 and 2006. (more)

Lack of health insurance a killer?

Wednesday 09 April 2008 at 2:36 pm Almost one working-age South Dakotan dies each week because of a lack of health insurance, according to a report.

But Doneen Hollingsworth, secretary of the South Dakota Health Department, says she isn't so sure about that.

"To me it would be a stretch to equate a lack of insurance with mortality - to make that direct assumption," Hollingsworth said.

The estimate is in a 50-state report from Families USA, described as a nonpartisan national organization for health care consumers.

The report, released Tuesday, states that 13.4 percent of the 389,000 South Dakotans ages of 25 to 64 in 2006 were uninsured. (more)

Is Massachusetts Health Insurance Expansion a Success?

Wednesday 09 April 2008 at 1:42 pm IT MIGHT have made more sense economically if a lower-cost state - say, Utah or Minnesota - had initiated the health insurance expansion that became law in Massachusetts two years ago this week. But the political and economic leadership here had the will and the resources to try what no state, except Hawaii, had ever come close to achieving: health coverage for just about everyone. While the success of this initiative is not assured, Massachusetts should be proud of accomplishing so much, so quickly.

As of Jan. 1, 342,000 people had enrolled in insurance plans fostered by the new law, an impressive achievement. Two-thirds of that number are in Commonwealth Care, which provides subsidized coverage to those just above the poverty line. (more)

Affordable housing & health insurance protests

Tuesday 08 April 2008 at 11:53 am P.E.A.C.E. was issuing fighting words Monday night.

Five hundred people from the inter-faith organization filled Calvary United Methodist Church in Lake Worth to call for affordable housing for the working poor and insurance for the quarter of a million Palm Beach County residents who do not have health insurance.

"From owning a home to rentals, people just can't afford it", says Bishop Randy Hightower of the Pentecostal Church of God in Christ.

Hightower says the housing crunch afflicting the upper middle class has had a ripple effect on the lower middle class who have seen rents go up. (more)

Students' health insurance "not good enough" to provide for expensive medical treatments

Tuesday 08 April 2008 at 11:51 am Published: Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Last Modified: Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 2:04:12am

When Ziqi Liu was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer, in January, he immediately focused on beating the disease.

"I'm literally not worried about the bill until after the treatment. Right now I'm just focusing on getting well," said Liu, a 27-year-old who is pursuing his doctorate in molecular cellular biology at Ohio University.

But his treatment in Columbus carries a steep price. The lowest estimate for the cost of his care, which includes two rounds of chemotherapy treatments and surgery, is $300,000. Even one week in a hospital can cost thousands of dollars, Liu said. (more)

Medicare Announces Funding For Health Insurance Counseling Programs For 2008

Tuesday 08 April 2008 at 11:44 am The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that nearly $36 million will be distributed to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) to help people with Medicare get more information about their health care choices.

The nearly $36 million being distributed to the SHIPs today is the first installment of more than $50 million that will be provided to the SHIPs in 2008. This $20 million increase in funding over fiscal year 2007 reflects more than $39 million in regular SHIP grants, performance-based grants to be awarded in September, and SHIP support, as well as an additional $15 million in supplemental funding that will be distributed on June 1. (more)

HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS ARE RELIEF FOR SOME TOWNS

Tuesday 08 April 2008 at 11:41 am Posted by CommonHealth, Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
North Reading has extra funds this year, because of relatively low insurance premium hikes.

NORTH READING, Mass. - April 08, 2008 - Some cities and towns across Massachusetts are getting a pleasant surprise as they put together their budgets this spring. For the last several years, communities have struggled to find money, often because they've had to pay big increases in health insurance premiums for municipal employees. This year, as towns braced for premium hikes, many have found that the premiums are barely going up, and some have enough money left over to restore services they had to cut back last year.

WBUR's Fred Thys reports on the experience in one town. (more)

NYTimes "Blogging Kills" article misses key point: health insurance

Monday 07 April 2008 at 9:51 pm I noticed this New York Times article reprinted in today's Star Tribune. It essentially argues--with much hemming and hawing--that the demands of trying to keep up with the fast-paced world of being a professional blogger are driving people into an early grave.

Here's the nut, where the reporter marshals his (flimsy) evidence:

Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.
Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet. (more)

Doyle meets with Leavitt to discuss Wis. health insurance program

Monday 07 April 2008 at 9:48 pm Associated Press - April 7, 2008 12:05 PM ET

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Gov. Jim Doyle hopes to get federal approval for an expansion of the state's BadgerCare Plus health insurance program within the next three to five months.

The plan to expand the basic coverage to about 81,000 childless adults starting Jan. 1 has already won approval from the state Legislature.

Doyle was in Washington, D.C., on Monday to meet with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt about the program. (more)

Health Dept. focuses on improving health of New Yorkers

Monday 07 April 2008 at 9:47 pm By Dan Osburn
Gannett News Service

ALBANY-- Cutting the number of obese people and the number who smoke and covering everyone with health insurance are the keys to improving the overall health of New Yorkers, top health officials said Monday in launching a campaign to make the state healthier.

The officials want to cut the percentage of New Yorkers who are obese from

almost 23 percent now to 15 percent by 2010, adults who smoke from 18 percent to 12 percent in two years and also have everyone covered by health insurance by then. (more)

Health cover should be seen as a provision, not insurance

Monday 07 April 2008 at 9:45 pm Yogesh S. Dave/ DNA MONEY
Monday, 07 April , 2008, 11:53

Promise of providing satisfactory health insurance can help one become president of America, as Bill Clinton, whose election manifesto included providing excellent health coverage benefits, found out.

"Health insurance is a lucrative business," a senior insurance company official had said sometime back. But public sector insurers do not think so. They are reporting adverse claim ratio i.e. for every Rs 100 premium collected, they pay more than Rs 100 by the way of claim. (more)

Move health insurance out of the workplace

Sunday 06 April 2008 at 5:27 pm In this presidential election year, health-care reform is once again attracting significant attention. Polls show that health-care access and cost are two of the primary domestic concerns of voters of all persuasions. Unfortunately, all of the major candidates' proposals depend, in one form or another, on continuing the most problematic aspect of our current health-care system: employer-based health coverage.

The involvement of employers in providing health coverage, almost unique to the United States, is an artifact of a moment in history. Wage-price controls in place during World War II prevented unions in war-related industries from bargaining over salary, so they turned to negotiations for health benefits instead. Half of all Americans with health insurance now get it from an employer. (more)

Universal Health Insurance: Just Don't Get Sick

Sunday 06 April 2008 at 5:08 pm By Alan Caruba (04/06/08)

Okay, let's say that President Obama or Hillary is in office and Congress has passed a bill that requires everyone to have health insurance. Gas is up over $4.00 a gallon, food prices are sky high, and, if you've recently graduated from college, you are paying off loans at $1,000 per month.

If you're a homeowner, you have a mortgage, property taxes, and a stack of other bills. You've got to decide between paying the mandated premium or being able to drive to work, buy food, holding onto your home, or keeping the bill collector from your door. (more)

No one dies from a lack of health insurance

Sunday 06 April 2008 at 4:32 pm Jeff Spielman
Sunday, April 6, 2008

Maybe this is a far gone conclusion, but, are the American people being scared into government-funded, universal health care?

After hearing the report on the radio, I looked up the article in the Rocky Mountain News by Bill Scanlon, "Group Links Death to Lack of Insurance' at www.rockymountainnews.com. Mr. Scanlon writes, "...360 Coloradans die prematurely every year because they didn't have health insurance." He's quoting from a report by Family USA, a self-described consumer advocacy group.

The premise that Coloradans are perishing as a direct result of not having health insurance is false. No rational, thinking person will buy that line. Lack of health insurance is not listed in any diagnostic reference as a symptom of, much less a cause for, any known disease. And, I defy anyone to prove me wrong. The doctor does not come out to the family after pronouncing a patient deceased with the explanation, "He had an acute case of uninsurance." That's just silly. (more)

Clinton Drops Health Insurance Nightmare Story After Facts Are Disputed

Sunday 06 April 2008 at 4:21 pm Hillary Clinton's campaign has said the Democratic presidential candidate is going to stop using a story about an uninsured pregnant woman in Ohio who died because a hospital turned her away.

Clinton has been telling the tale for about five weeks, and first heard it from Meigs County, Ohio, sheriff's deputy Bryan Holman, who was taped relaying the account to the New York senator.

"She was pregnant and worked for minimum wage. She went to the hospital, and the hospital told her she needs a hundred dollars up front, which she didn't have. So they billed her a couple of times for it, and she went back again, she didn't have a hundred dollars so they refused to see her," Holman said to an attentive Clinton. (more)

Health insurance rule taken out of bill

Friday 04 April 2008 at 1:38 pm State lawmakers are backing away from requiring that Iowa parents must enroll their children for health insurance, but still would like to set a goal that all children have insurance by 2011.

The current version of health care legislation before the Iowa Legislature does set aside money to cover more children: about $25 million over three years.

Lawmakers would like to spend that money to increase state subsidies for coverage of children of moderate-income families under the Hawk-I and Medicaid programs.

The money would be enough to provide health insurance for about 39,000 of the 53,000 Iowa children who currently aren't insured, said Sen. Jack Hatch, a Democrat from Des Moines. (more)

Report: 8 Californians Die Per Day Because They Lack Health Insurance

Friday 04 April 2008 at 1:36 pm A new report estimates more than eight Californians die every day due to a lack of health insurance. The report comes from the non-profit advocacy group Families USA. KPBS reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.

The estimate is based on a previous study by the Institute of Medicine. That report said there was a link between a lack of health insurance and deaths. The new study says the uninsured are much more likely to delay seeking care. They're also more likely to be diagnosed with a disease that's already advanced. (more)

Your Clients Confused About Health Insurance Options?

Friday 04 April 2008 at 1:35 pm The first waves of Baby Boomers have turned 62 this year and started claiming Social Security benefits. But, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), many are confused about their post-retirement health insurance options. As a result, the association has offered 10 tips that planners should consider with their clients:

1. Plan ahead for retirement health insurance needs. Consider that Americans are eligible for Medicare at age 65 so this needs to be taken into account if there is someone retiring at an earlier age.

2. If retiring before the age of 65 and therefore, are not eligible for Medicare, is there eligibility in place for COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act), a federal law that typically entitles one to continue the employer's heath insurance coverage up to 18 months. You need to check the state insurance department in the client's state on this. (more)

RAND Study Finds Economic Burden of Health Insurance Increasing for Small Employers Providing Health Insurance

Friday 04 April 2008 at 1:31 pm SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 4 (AScribe Newswire) -- The economic burden of providing health insurance for workers increased more for small businesses than for large ones from 2000 to 2005, but the spike did not cause a significant number of small employers to abandon the benefit, according to a study issued today by the RAND Corporation.

Small businesses (those with 25 or fewer employees) saw the expense of providing health insurance rise by nearly 30 percent during the study period -- significantly more than the hikes experienced by medium and large businesses examined by the study.

Researchers found no evidence that small businesses were more likely than large employers to quit providing health insurance for their workers, although small employers did remain less likely to provide health benefits to workers. (more)

Some Hope on the Health Insurance Front

Thursday 03 April 2008 at 2:40 pm By Marci Alboher

It seems that some lawmakers in Washington have been listening to all our talk about the disastrous situation around health insurance for small businesses and the self-employed. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators - Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine; Dick Durbin, the majority whip who is a Democrat from Illinois; Blanche Lincoln, Democrat of Arkansas; and Norm Coleman, Republican of Minnesota - proposed legislation that seeks to reduce the cost and improve coverage options for small businesses. The bill is supported by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Association of Realtors and the Service Employees International Union. (more)

Report Bolsters Lack Of Health Care, Premature Death Link

Thursday 03 April 2008 at 2:37 pm By DIANE LEVICK | Courant Staff Writer
April 3, 2008

Three adults die prematurely each week in Connecticut on average because they lack health insurance, and more than 1,100 died over seven years, says a new report that's likely to weigh on consciences in the debate over health care reform.

The estimates focus on uninsured residents aged 25 to 64 from 2000 through 2006 and will be released today by Families USA, a 25-year-old organization that advocates affordable health care for all Americans. (more)

Legislation targets small-business health insurance costs

Thursday 03 April 2008 at 2:36 pm Thursday, Apr 3, 2008

By Aaron Sadler
Stephens Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - Architects of previous attempts to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses announced a new approach Wednesday endorsed by interest groups that rarely see eye-to-eye.

The bipartisan bill, lauded as a compromise and improved version of a measure introduced in 2006, allows small businesses to join into insurance purchasing pools. It offers tax breaks to offset insurance premium expenses for employers. (more)

Scrambling for Health Insurance Coverage: Health Security for People in Late Middle Age

Thursday 03 April 2008 at 2:26 pm Testimony Before the Senate Special Committee on Aging

By Jeanne Lambrew

April 3, 2008

Chairman Kohl, Senator Smith, and distinguished Members of the Committee, I thank you for the opportunity to testify on the topic of health security for people in late middle age. I also thank Senator Wyden for his interest in this topic, and my views on it, as well as the broader challenges facing our health system. (more)

CIGNA Completes Deal For Great-West

Wednesday 02 April 2008 at 1:59 pm Strengthens Position In Pacific Northwest
By DIANE LEVICK | Courant Staff Writer
April 2, 2008

CIGNA Corp. said Tuesday it has completed the purchase of Great-West Healthcare for $1.5 billion in cash and an additional $400 million of capital that CIGNA subsidiaries will retain to support the acquired business.The deal, first reported by The Courant in November, involves 1.9 million people served by Great-West Healthcare, including 1.4 million medical members in employer-based health plans. Great-West is based in the Denver area and is a division of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Co. (more)

Elizabeth Edwards vs. John McCain on Health Care

Wednesday 02 April 2008 at 1:56 pm Speaking to the Association of Health Care Journalists on Saturday, Elizabeth Edwards said that she and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have something in common in addition to being cancer survivors: "Neither one of us would be covered by his health policy."

Edwards -- the wife of former presidential candidate and Sen. John Edwards, D-NC -- said that insurance companies, under McCain's proposal, "wouldn't have to cover preexisting conditions like melanoma and breast cancer."

Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, senior policy advisor to McCain, told the Los Angeles Times that, in the words of the Times, "Edwards' comments were disappointing and that they revealed she did not understand the comprehensive nature of the senator's proposal." (more)

Many Asian Americans in Sacramento County lack health insurance

Wednesday 02 April 2008 at 1:46 pm Tevita Tausinga, left, and his daughter Losaline say that if Melelea Tausinga had health insurance, she would not have died of stomach cancer. Tausinga said his wife complained five years ago of pain but felt she couldn't afford medical treatment.

Even while her stomach was killing her, Melelea Tausinga remained the heart and soul of Sacramento's Tongan community.

She counseled troubled teens, was the water mom for Tongan rugby teams and danced everything from Tongan classics to her favorite, "The Electric Slide."

But Tausinga never went to a doctor because she didn't know where to go and felt she couldn't afford it anyway, her husband said. (more)

Repeal laws raising cost of health insurance

Wednesday 02 April 2008 at 1:42 pm Democrats like state Sen. Bob Hagedorn, and state Rep. Anne McGihon want to force us all to buy medical insurance - as they define it. But government-mandated insurance does not guarantee actual care. Consider Canada, England and Massachusetts.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that "109 people had a heart attack or suffered heart failure while on the waiting list. Fifty of those patients died." The BBC reports that "up to 500 heart patients die each year while they wait for potentially life-saving surgery." The Boston Globe reports that in response to soaring costs, Massachusetts "policymakers could face difficult choices: spend more state money or cut back the two programs by reducing enrollment, cutting subsidies, or eliminating benefits." (more)

Comedians Group and Actors Fund to Host Health Insurance Seminar

Tuesday 01 April 2008 at 1:10 pm Comedians for Comedians and The Actors Fund will address one of the top concerns for comedians: affordable health insurance.

Comedians for Comedians, a new organization dedicated to helping comedians, and The Actors Fund will join forces to host a health insurance and health guide for comedians workshop Monday, April 7 at the Melrose Improv in Hollywood. The workshop will begin at 2pm.

Topics will include finding and comparing the benefits of private insurance, availability of association plans from arts and professional organizations such as SAG and AFTRA, and places and programs in the Los Angeles area offering affordable care for when you are uninsured. (more)

Florida Hospitals Ranked Last Says Florida Health Insurance Web Survey

Tuesday 01 April 2008 at 1:09 pm Florida is known for having one of the most advanced medical facilities in the nation. The finest doctor's from across the country come to Florida to work in the Florida sunshine. All that 'Florida Tourism' stuff sounds great; until you match it up with real life, and real statistics; like the Healthcare Providers Survey (health insurance statistic) that ranks Florida hospitals failing in all 10 categories.

Florida (PRWEB) April 1, 2008 -- Florida hospitals are rated in regards to cleanliness, noise, pain control and how well nurses and doctors communicate with their patients. While overall health care in Florida is in some ways the best in the nation, a recent survey conducted by the AARP shows "overcrowding and future budget cuts in hospital funding by the Florida Legislature can make it especially challenging to advance quality care in the state," said Morgan Moran, a Florida Health Insurance consultant. (more)

Congress is right to press for health-insurance parity

Tuesday 01 April 2008 at 1:07 pm Health-care coverage should mean exactly that — coverage for health care. It should not mean only some kinds of health care.

But in what is an indefensible problem in devising health-care coverage, many plans and employers persist in believing mental health care is somehow not like other health care. And some don't offer mental health coverage on an equal basis with coverage for physical ailments. The distinction does not make sense. There should no more be lines drawn on covering mental health care than to distinguish between covering heart ailments from stomach ailments.

Fortunately, Congress is on the job in attempting to bring mental health-care parity to the fore. Both the Senate and the House have passed versions of mental health-care parity bills. Both require plans that offer mental health benefits to have parity with the benefits covering physical ailments. The better version of the bill is in the House. The bill is named for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, who was an important voice in Congress on mental health-care issues. (more)

Majority of Physicians Back National Health Insurance, Survey Finds

Tuesday 01 April 2008 at 1:04 pm About 59% of U.S. physicians support legislation that would establish a national health insurance program, and 32% oppose such a system, according to a survey published on Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Reuters reports.

For the study, lead author Aaron Carroll of the Indiana University School of Medicine and colleagues surveyed more than 2,000 physicians. Researchers said they believe the survey was representative of the 800,000 physicians nationwide.

The survey found that 83% of psychiatrists, 69% of emergency medicine specialists, 65% of pediatricians, 64% of internists, 60% of family care physicians and 55% of general surgeons support national health insurance. A survey in 2002 found that 49% of physicians supported national health insurance and 40% opposed it (Fox, Reuters, 3/31). (more)