New Survey Shows Consumer-Driven Health Plans Continue To Grow

As health care costs continue to rise, more employers are looking to Consumer Driven Health Plans and employee wellness programs to help keep costs under control, according to the new Health Plan Survey conducted by United Benefit Advisors (UBA: 17.52, -0.05, -0.28%).
The nation’s largest and most comprehensive benchmark survey of employer-sponsored plan design and plan [...]

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Health-Insurance Buyers Lack Safeguards, Study Says

A report by a consumer advocacy group criticizes states for not doing more to protect consumers who buy health insurance through the individual market, rather than through their employers or the government.
Most states, including Indiana, don’t require insurance companies to sell policies to all applicants, don’t prohibit charging higher premiums based on health status, and [...]

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Clintons Legacy: Health-Care Truth

Finally, the Democratic primary race is over. Above and beyond her persistence and her historic effort as a female presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton’s campaign legacy is health insurance truth.
Forty-seven million Americans do not have health insurance. According to Consumer Reports, nearly half, 49 percent of Americans, are unprepared financially to cope with a costly medical [...]

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Tufts Health Plan Eyes Rhode Island Market

Tufts Health Plan — the Bay State’s third-largest health insurer — has filed plans to offer health insurance in the Rhode Island marketplace.
THP said Thursday that it filed an application to offer insurance in Rhode Island with the state’s Department of Business Regulations, which is similar to the Massachusetts Division of Insurance.
Tufts CEO James Roosevelt [...]

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Coventry Health Care Of Kansas Picks Murphy As Ceo

Murphy, a veteran of the health care benefits industry, succeeds George Wheeler, who resigned about two months ago.
Based in Kansas City, Coventry Health Care of Kansas covers the national health insurer’s operations throughout Kansas and western Missouri.
Murphy joins Coventry from Mercy Health Plans of Missouri, where he served most recently as CEO.
“We are pleased to [...]

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Healths Gain May Be Armys Loss

Call it the law of unintended consequences. When you fix one thing, it messes up other things.
If the Democrats win the election this year, and are able to enact a health care plan that extends adequate coverage to all Americans, the loser could be the Army. Getting enough people to enlist could become a major [...]

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Fla. Gov Signs Health Insurance Bill

Some uninsured Florida residents may get easier access to health care coverage under legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Charlie Crist.
The new law lets insurance companies offer scaled-back health plans without all the usually required coverages. That might make insurance available to some people for as little as $150 a month, Crist said.
Under the law, some [...]

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Health Care Costs Outpace Incomes

The economic slowdown has swelled the ranks of people without health insurance. But now it is also threatening millions of people who have insurance but find that the coverage is too limited or that they cannot afford their own share of medical costs.
Even many of the 158 million people covered by employer health insurance are [...]

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Study suggests it may be OK to let small hospitals do heart stent procedures; laws may change

CHICAGO - Is it safe to have your arteries unclogged at a hospital that lacks heart surgeons who can operate if something goes wrong?
Many states ban this except in emergencies like heart attacks. But more small hospitals are trying it in non-urgent cases, and the largest study ever done of this, released on Saturday, suggests [...]

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Health Insurers Limit Advanced Scans

TRENTON, N.J. - Insurance companies are taking a harder look at advanced medical scans like CT scans, citing spiraling costs and safety concerns. And some doctors agree there’s emerging evidence that these scans are being over-prescribed.
“Costs are soaring in this area, quality concerns are mounting and safety concerns are mounting,” said Karen Ignagni, chief executive [...]

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