Individual and Family Health Insurance
|
Students Health Insurance
|
Children Health Insurance
|
Medicare Plans
|
Business Health Insurance
|
Group Health Insurance
Health Insurance Help

Affordable Health Insurance

as easy as: GET QUOTES
COMPARE PLANS, over 500 plans to choose from
APPLY ONLINE
Individual and Family Plans
Medicare Plans
Dental Insurance
Group Health Insurance
Enter Zip code     

« Sen. Kennedy outlines… | Back to News List | More Californians tra… »

UnitedHealth Group outlines 15 steps recommendations to save $540 billion in healthcare costs

28 05 09 - 11:38



Insurer offers ways for U.S. to save on healthcare

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government can save $540 billion in healthcare costs in the next decade by taking 15 steps, such as pushing use of high quality, cost-efficient doctors, a major health insurer said in a report on Wednesday.

The UnitedHealth Group Inc policy center's report followed the industry's pledge to help President Barack Obama find $2 trillion in savings to help fund medical coverage for millions of uninsured Americans.


Simon Stevens, who heads the UnitedHealth Group Center for Health Reform and Modernization, said the report "puts some flesh on the bones" of the pledge, adding that the 15 steps were being used by the insurer to save costs and could be applied to the Medicare health program for the elderly.

"If you simply expand coverage without doing anything to influence the underlying rate of healthcare cost growth, those coverage expansions may not be sustainable," Stevens told reporters.

In addition to providing incentives and information to beneficiaries to encourage the use of high quality, cost-efficient doctors, the recommendations include measures to reduce avoidable and inappropriate care.

For example, the report recommends using nurse practitioners to manage illnesses and prevent hospitalizations as well as linking some payments to evidence-based therapies.

Lawmakers are already considering some of the options, such as providing incentives for primary care doctors to coordinate treatments, as they push ahead with an effort to lower costs in the government-run Medicare program.

Savings from that program could be used to provide health insurance for the approximately 46 million people who are uninsured.

Medicare savings could be mimicked by private insurers, which would help lower premiums.

Democratic leaders are pushing to enact a far-reaching healthcare overhaul by the end of the year. Obama has been meeting with various groups in an effort to build broad support for the reform.

Industry leaders made their cost savings pledge to Obama earlier this month, and he has asked them to provide details by early June. The insurance industry is hoping to head off a push by many congressional Democrats to create a new government health care plan that would compete with private companies to provide coverage for the uninsured.

(Editing by Paul Simao)


 

Archives

Search!

 
Corporate Family Health Insurance Quotes Business Health Insurance Quotes Senior Health Insurance Quotes
Home
About Us
Contact Us
Legal Terms & Licenses
Site Map
Individual & Family Quotes
Child Health Insurance Quotes
Students Health Insurance
Short-term Health Insurance
Dental Insurance Quotes
Business Health Insurance Quotes
Group Health Insurance Quotes
Group Dental Insurance Quotes
Group Vision Insurance Quotes
Medicare Supplement Quotes
Medicare Advantage Quotes
Senior Dental Insurance Quotes
Prescription Drug Plans / Part D
Health Insurance Companies Health Insurance Plans

California

Aetna
Anthem Blue Cross
Blue Shield of California
Celtic
Health Net
Health Net - Farm Bureau
Kaiser Permanente
United Healthcare-PacifiCare

Colorado

Aetna
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
Celtic
HumanaOne
Kaiser Permanente
Rocky Mountain Health Plans

Nevada

Aetna
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
Celtic
Health Plan of Nevada, Inc.
HumanaOne
Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company, Inc.
United Healthcare-PacifiCare
California Health Insurance Plans
Colorado Health Insurance Plans
Nevada Health Insurance Plans
Health Insurance Resources International Health & Life Insurance
Health Insurance Brochures
Health Insurance Companies in:
California, Colorado, Nevada
Health Insurance Glossary
Healthy Families Program
Access for Infants and Mothers
Health Center
Online Support
FAQ
International Health & Life Glossary
Major Medical & Term Life
International Student Health Insurance
Travel Insurance
Group Travel Insurance
Frequent Traveler Insurance
MultiNational Accident Plan
International Term Life
MultiNational Group Benefit

web developed and powered by noble technologies