Workers Squeezed As Employers Pass Along High Costs Of Specialty Drugs
Employers struggling to keep down insurance costs are increasingly requiring workers to pay a percentage of high-cost drugs rather than a modest co-pay.
Employers: Health Plans Will Take Bigger Bite Out Of Next Year’s Paychecks
Expect to pay more for your job-based health care coverage next year, as employers continue a trend of passing along rising costs to workers. Fifty-three percent of large employers surveyed by the National Business Group on Health said they would increase the amount workers pay toward their premiums next year, although most said the rise would be […]
Health Insurance Premiums Vary Widely, Report Says
How much does health insurance cost? It’s a deceptively simple question to ask, but a notoriously difficult one to answer, especially for people who buy their own coverage because they don’t get it through their jobs. A report released today adds to what has so far been a limited data pool attempting to answer the […]
States Face Challenges In Controlling Health Insurance Premiums
The federal health care law gives officials new tools to help hold down rates, but states’ authority and political will still vary widely.
Study: New Coverage Will Boost Demand For Rural Providers
The percentage of rural Americans with insurance could grow faster than those in urban areas under the federal health care overhaul law, a boon for the newly insured, but one that will put additional pressure on areas already short of doctors, a study out today says. About 5 million more rural Americans will have coverage […]
Medical Loss Ratio Deadline Extended For Two States
Iowa and Kentucky late Friday joined the list of states granted extra time for health insurers to meet rules requiring at least 80 percent of revenue on medical care. North Dakota’s request was rejected. That brings to five the number of state granted more time by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The health […]
FAQ: Seniors May See Changes in Medigap Policies
As debt limit talks drag on, lawmakers are eying possible changes in Medicare supplemental plans – moves that could increase seniors’ out-of-pocket costs.
Insurance Commissioners Back Away From Broker Bill
This post was updated at 5:47 p.m. Brokers hoping that the nation’s top insurance regulators would endorse a controversial bill now pending in Congress had their hopes dimmed Tuesday. “We’re looking for solutions other than changing federal law,” said Kevin McCarty, Florida’s insurance commissioner. Late last month, a McCarty-headed committee of the National Association of Insurance […]
After Much Scrutiny, HHS Releases Health Insurance Exchange Rules
Industry and consumer groups are poring over more than 200 pages of long-awaited proposed federal rules on state-based insurance exchanges, a critical element of the federal health law.
Obesity Rate Ballooning, Report Says
Americans are continuing to supersize – adult obesity rates increased in 16 states last year and did not go down in a single state – raising health risks and ultimately adding to the cost of health care, according to a study out today. Just four years ago, only one state had obesity rates above 30 […]
Insurance brokers won a round in their battle over the future of sales commissions on Thursday when a key committee of state insurance regulators voted to endorse a controversial bill now before Congress. The task force of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners said they would endorse the bill — sponsored by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. […]
Analyst: Nonprofit Blues Have Huge Reserves
Nonprofit Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are sitting on piles of cash – and consumers might see “premium holidays” or lower-than-expected increases as a result, a Wall Street analyst says in a report Wednesday. Nationwide, 33 nonprofit plans have almost $29 billion in capital reserves, according to analyst Carl McDonald of Citi Investment Research & […]
‘Double’ Chest Scans Increase Costs And Exposure To Radiation
Many hospitals are performing unusually large numbers of a type of CT scan experts say should be done sparingly.
Blue Shield Of California Sets Profit Cap Other Insurers May Not Imitate
Blue Shield of California’s decision to cap profits at 2 percent was widely applauded, but other health insurers aren’t likely to follow suit.
Health Insurance Rate Hikes Face Tougher Scrutiny
The Obama administration issued final rules Thursday requiring insurers to justify rate increases of 10 percent or more.
States Seek to Soften Rule on Insurers’ Profits, Millions Of Dollars In Consumer Rebates At Stake
Nine states are pushing the Obama administration to ease a requirement that insurers spend 80 percent of their premium revenues on medical care
Some Employers Already Sending Workers To Exchanges to Buy Health Insurance
Entrepreneurs create new private marketplaces
Health Insurance From Both Sides: KHN Interview Of Aetna CEO Bertolini
Mark Bertolini knows the insurance industry inside out. Both he and his son have had life-threatening health crises. He says he wouldn’t qualify for an individual policy and talks with KHN about how Aetna is reacting to the health law.
CBO: Seniors Would Pay Much More For Medicare Under Ryan Plan
Health care entitlement programs are targeted for major overhauls under the House GOP budget proposal, says the Congressional Budget Office.
Hospitals And Insurers Face Growing Antitrust Scrutiny
Recent lawsuits show the government is cracking down on suspected anti-competitive actions in the health care and insurance industries.
