Tag Archives: health care services
Feds Reject Texas' Request to Delay Insurance Reform
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has rejected the Texas Department of Insurance’s proposal to delay implementation of a federal health care reform provision aimed at curbing rising premiums. Under the federal Affordable Care Act, starting in 2012, insurance companies are required to maintain a “medical loss ratio,” or MLR, of 80/20 for … Continue reading
Brown pushes plan to close racial health disparities
Such disparities could be the target of Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown's proposed "Enterprise Health Zones," geographical areas where doctors and community organizations could win funding for ameliorating health disparities. Brown announced Tuesday he wants to close racial health disparities by creating financial incentives, including low-cost loans and tax credits to primary care physicians who … Continue reading
Private Carriers Cover More Nursing and LTC Costs
Commercial carriers’ share of the longer-term care (LTC) and skilled nursing tab was up from 8.9% in 2009 and up from 8.8% in 2000. Commercial carriers’ share of the tab has increased every year since 2004. Researchers at the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have reported those … Continue reading
New Louisiana Medicaid system needs oversight board, watchdog group says
The leaders of an independent public policy group raised questions Thursday about whether Gov. Bobby Jindal’s overhaul of the Louisiana Medicaid program can yield the predicted savings without curtailing needed health care services for beneficiaries. Susan Poag,The Times-Picayune archiveA nonpartisan government watchdog group says lawmakers should set up a special commission to monitor the Jindal … Continue reading
Texas Regulator Abstains from MLR Vote; Says State Requested Waiver
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has adopted a resolution urging Congress to amend the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to ensure consumer access to agents and brokers. Under the MLR provision, insurance providers must spend 80 to 85 cents of every premium dollar on … Continue reading
Experts
A high-level expert group set up by the government to give suggestions on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has suggested setting by medical colleges in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra to balance the distribution of medical colleges in the country. The experts have suggested taxations and pooling of revenues for purchasing of health … Continue reading
Obama Administration May Wipe Out Daniels’ Healthy Indiana Plan
The Healthy Indiana plan, a vaunted state-sponsored health insurance plan for uninsured low-income adults, has been denied an extension by the Obama administration, forcing Indiana to reapply through a more complex waiver process. If the federal government does not reverse its position, the signature health policy reform of Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels may cease to … Continue reading
Will Medigap Insurance Continue To Reduce Beneficiaries’ Medical Costs?
Most Medicare beneficiaries are not aware of a proposal to reduce the cost-sharing benefits of Medigap Plans. two organizations, Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, have put forth a health policy brief that examines how such a change in the benefits of Medigap Insurance Plans from private health insurance companies would impact Medicare … Continue reading
Univera founder to direct UB office – UB Reporter
Univera founder to direct UB office Univera founder, UB alumnus and adjunct faculty member Arthur Goshin has started a new career as director of the School of Public Health and Health Profession’s new Office of Global Initiatives. Print Comments “With cutbacks in state funding for UB, it seemed unlikely that the SPHHP would be able … Continue reading
Tricare Breach Shows Health Care Groups Still Not Encrypting Patient Data
Tricare Breach Shows Health Care Groups Still not Encrypting Patient Data (Page 1 of 2 ) Last week’s data breach of patient health records at a military health care provider is a sign that major organizations are still not properly encrypting their data, despite compliance regulations. Tricare, a provider of health care services to active … Continue reading