Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Feds To Investigate If Insurers Discriminated Against Sick
The New York Times: Obama Administration To Investigate Insurers For Bias Against Costly Conditions
The Obama administration said Monday that it would investigate prescription drug coverage and other benefits offered by health insurance companies to see if they discriminated against people with AIDS, mental illness, diabetes or other costly chronic conditions. The administration said it had become aware of “discriminatory benefit designs” that discouraged people from enrolling because of age or medical condition. (Pear, 12/22)
The New York Times: Group Sues Aetna, Claiming Discrimination Against H.I.V. Patients
A consumer group has sued the health insurer Aetna, claiming that it discriminated against patients with H.I.V. when it required them to obtain medications exclusively through its own mail-order pharmacy. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in San Diego by the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, argues that Aetna’s policy violates the new federal health care law, which prohibits insurers from discriminating against people based on medical condition. (Thomas, 12/22)
The Associated Press: Consumer Group Sues Aetna, Alleges Discrimination
A consumer advocacy group has filed a class-action lawsuit against Aetna Inc. saying a new policy violates the privacy of people with HIV and AIDS by requiring them to get their medications from its mail-order pharmacy. Consumer Watchdog filed the lawsuit Friday in federal court in San Diego. It says sending the drugs through the mail puts privacy at risk because packages could end up at the wrong address or be seen by others. It also says the mail is not a reliable way to ensure people get their medications on time. (Watson, 12/22)
In addition, Marketplace looked at the steep rise in insurance premium prices --
Marketplace: The Math Behind Health Care's Crazy Inflation
In 1996, the average family premium ran just shy of $5,000. Adjust that $5,000 for inflation, and today it’s about $7,500. But healthcare premiums are a different story. The cost was a little more than $16,000 for a family, as of last year. (Gorenstein, 12/22)
