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The Daily News Archive lists articles that have been posted within the past seven calendar days. You can filter the articles by category by using the navigation at the left.
May 9, 2013 - May 16, 2013
UnitedHealth, Humana May See Surge in Medicare Advantage
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 3:41 pm ET; Source: Bloomberg
Enrollment in the U.S.-funded Medicare plans run by UnitedHealth Group Inc., Humana Inc. and other insurers may rise 50 percent in the next decade rather than declining as predicted earlier, U.S. budget analysts said.
New Study Cites Low Inflation for Health Care Premiums
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: BizTimes.com
A new analysis from HealthPocket Inc. shows that health insurance premiums have remained steady in the lead up to the implementation of highly anticipated mandatory insurance coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Oregon Gets First Peek at Health Insurance Market
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: The Spokesman-Review
This is what competition looks like: One health insurer wants to charge $169 a month next year to cover a 40-year-old Portland-area non-smoker. Another wants $422 a month for the same standard plan.
NC Health Agency Heads Pitch Plans to Revamp $13B Medicaid Program with Managed-Care Companies
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 7:29 pm ET; Source: The Republic
Health agency leaders faced a crowd of skeptics sprinkled with voices of hope Wednesday as they sought to sell Gov. Pat McCrory's plan to revamp the government program that provides 1.5 million poor children and disabled adults with health care.
Beshear Introduces Website for Kentucky's Health Insurance Exchange
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: Kentucky.com
After expanding the state's Medicaid program last week to about 308,000 Kentuckians, Gov. Steve Beshear launched several public education and awareness efforts Wednesday to help 332,000 more Kentuckians in need of health care coverage.
Health Plan Chief Sees Opportunity in New Alliance
Thursday, May 16, 2013; Source: Wastfair Online
At Hudson Health Plan headquarters in Tarrytown, Georganne Chapin said she was “really excited” at the wider prospects ahead on the state’s shifting health care landscape for the nonprofit insurance provider she leads as president and CEO.
House Opts for Cheaper Health Plan, Taxpayers Foot the Bill
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 5:07 pm ET; Source: ActionNewsJax.com
Action News investigates why taxpayers are stuck paying for some state lawmakers to have cheap health insurance.
OSF, Blue Cross and Blue Shield to Announce Partnership
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: Pantagraph.com
OSF HealthCare and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will announce Thursday their intention to form a strategic alliance called an accountable care organization.
Estimated Health Costs in Retirement Drop
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 3:18 pm ET; Source: The New York Times
In its annual update of retirees’ medical costs, Fidelity Investments reports that its estimate of those expenses for a 65-year-old couple has dropped by about $20,000.
CCIIO: HSA Plans Are Still Possible
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: LifeHealthPro
Low-income people will still be able to use health savings accounts (HSAs) after Jan. 1, 2014.
Novartis Says Has No Intention of Buying Actavis
Thursday, May 16, 2013, 8:58 am ET; Source: Reuters
Novartis has no plans to bid for U.S.-based generic drugmaker Actavis, which is the subject of intense takeover speculation, a spokesman for the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday.
Optum Introduces New Business Process Outsourcing Services for Payers, In Partnership with HealthEdge
Thursday, May 16, 2013, 8:00 am ET; Source: Business Wire
Optum today launched a new portfolio of technology-enabled business process outsourcing services to help health care payers transform their core administrative operations, reduce costs and adapt to market changes.
The IRS' Role In The Health Law Comes Under Scrutiny
Thursday, May 16, 2013; Source: Kaiser Health News
Mary Agnes Carey talks to Joanna Kerpen, a partner at the law firm McDermott Will & Emery, about the role of the IRS in implementing and enforcing provisions of the health law after recent revelations the agency inappropriately targeted conservative groups that were seeking tax-exempt status.
CA State can Close Loophole in Health Reform Plan that Threatens Fairness
Thursday, May 16, 2013; Source: The Sacramento Bee
With the main provisions of the Affordable Care Act set to take effect Jan. 1, we are about to transform the way people buy health insurance.
Dems Work on Miss. Medicaid Expansion Proposal
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 7:00 am ET; Source: Jackson Free Press
Democrats in the Mississippi Legislature say they're working on proposals to keep Medicaid alive and funded in the budget year that starts July 1.
Brown Backs State-Run Medi-Cal Expansion
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: The California Report
Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised budget plan is a mixed bag for health advocates and some county officials.
What the Oregon Study Says (or Doesn't) About Medicaid
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: California Healthline
Health care wonks are having a field day.
Estimate of U.S. Health Law Expansion Cut to 25 Million
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 3:25 pm ET; Source: Bloomberg
Two million fewer people than previously estimated will gain health coverage under the U.S. Affordable Care Act as new rules allow some uninsured Americans to avoid a mandate for participation, the Congressional Budget Office said.
Washington Insurance Exchange to Cut Health Care Costs
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: The Spokesman-Review
Washington’s consumers got their first, preliminary look at the cost of “Obamacare” on Tuesday.
Tawuniya and Aetna Form Strategic Alliance
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 11:58 am ET; Source: Business Wire
The Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya), and Aetna, a leading global diversified health care solutions company, have entered into a strategic alliance to provide health care benefits and services to Saudi citizens in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or abroad and to foreign nationals living in the Kingdom.
Who Will Pay Higher Premiums Under Obamacare? Young Men
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 6:00 am ET; Source: CNNMoney
The Obama administration says the Affordable Care Act will provide cheaper health insurance for millions of Americans.
Obamacare May Ease Costs for Employers and Employees
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 6:59 pm ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
A new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Health Research Institute shows it will be cheaper for employers and employees alike for companies to offer health coverage.
Jolie Mastectomy Fuels Debate on Breast Cancer Treatment
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 6:21 pm ET; Source: Bloomberg
Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a double mastectomy is fueling debate among the thousands of women at risk of developing breast cancer who want to know how, if and when to have their breasts removed.
The Cost of Workers Who Call In Sick
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 1:00 pm ET; Source: Big Data Download
The annual cost of lost productivity due to absenteeism tied to poor health varies greatly from occupation to occupation, but every time an employee takes a sick day the result is hundreds of dollars in costs to the employer, according to a survey conducted by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
Dirty Medicine
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 9:03 am ET; Source: CNNMoney
The epic inside story of long-term criminal fraud at Ranbaxy, the Indian drug company that makes generic Lipitor for millions of Americans.
Health Plans Seek EHR Data For New Payment Models
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 12:27 pm ET; Source: InformationWeek
Health plans are rapidly migrating to value-based payments models, according to a new report from Availity, which provides Web-based connectivity between providers and payers.
What is the Role of Health Plans in Healthcare Reform, IT?
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: EHR Intelligence
Healthcare reform through the adoption of health information technology impacts not only clinical workflows but also health plan payment models.
Obamacare Socks Union Health Plans with 40% Tax
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 9:57 am ET; Source: The Examiner
Deep in the list of taxes that the president's Obamacare plan will hit Americans with is a 40 percent excise tax on health plans typical union members have, especially in Midwest states, according to a new analysis.
eHealth CEO Gary Lauer Challenges Governors: If Uncle Sam Offers Cost-Free Enrollment Using Private Online Health Care Marketplaces, Then Why Not the States?
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 1:30 pm ET; Source: Market-Wired
Gary Lauer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of eHealth, Inc., the first and largest national private online health insurance exchange, during a national telephonic press conference today, challenged governors in the 16 states plus the District of Columbia that are planning to create their own online healthcare marketplaces to adopt a cost-free enrollment strategy.
Hospitals Prepare to Cut Care in Medicaid Opt-Out States
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 1:06 pm ET; Source: Bloomberg
With 15 U.S. states opting out of President Barack Obama’s Medicaid expansion, hospitals that treat poor and uninsured patients are asking the government to delay $64 billion in planned funding cuts.
Nonprofits, Health Clinics See Bigger Roles
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 12:00 am ET; Source: The Register-Guard
It’s not just businesses that are struggling to make sense of health care reform and its possible impacts.
Medicaid Costs Driven by Poverty
Tuesday, May 14, 2013; Source: The Houston Chronicle
As Texas lawmakers debate whether to accept billions of federal dollars to insure 1.5 million low-income adults through Medicaid, the conversation inevitably includes concerns about the program's increasing cost.
Kindred at Home and Dignity Health Plan Home Health Joint Venture in Calif.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013; Source: The Lane Report
Kindred Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:KND) today announced a definitive agreement with Dignity Health to create a joint venture to expand home health services in San Bernardino, Calif.
New NY Health Plans Feature Fewer Choices, Lower Premiums
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 2:28 am ET; Source: The Buffalo News
New health insurance plans announced last week are expected to cost 4 to 10 percent less than current plans for people willing to sign up for fewer choices.
Michigan's First Statewide CO-OP Health Insurer Gains Regulatory Approval
Monday, May 13, 2013, 6:35 pm ET; Source: Detroit Free Press
A new health insurance company that would be Michigan’s first statewide health care co-op received a state license Monday to begin covering people and small groups next January.
Oregon's Upstart Health CO-OPs to Challenge Mainstream Insurers
Monday, May 13, 2013; Source: OregonLive.com
Armed with hefty federal loans, two startup health insurers are jumping into a crowded and confusing Oregon market just as the biggest changes to U.S. health care in generations roll out this fall.
Three WellPoint Directors Resign From Insurer’s Board
Monday, May 13, 2013, 6:29 pm ET; Source: Bloomberg
Three of WellPoint Inc.’s 11 board members have resigned, citing personal reasons for their decision to depart about six weeks after a new chief executive officer took over at the second-largest U.S. health insurer.
Cigna Picks New CFO
Monday, May 13, 2013, 7:44 pm ET; Source: The Motley Fool
On Monday after close of trading, the Bloomfield, Conn.-based health insurer announced that Chief Financial Officer Ralph J. Nicoletti is leaving the company "for personal reasons."
Value-Based Payments Picking Up Steam
Monday, May 13, 2013; Source; Healthcare Finance News
The number of health plans that expect more than half their business will be under value-based models is expected to triple in the next five years according to a new research report released last week by health information network Availity.
When Employers' Health Plans Disappear, Workers Often Have Few Options
Monday, May 13, 2013; Source: Kitsap Sun
For some people, the promise of employer-provided health insurance is reason enough to take a job or stay put in one.
Coverage Problems Could Still Remain For Young Adults
Tuesday, May 14, 2013; Source: Kaiser Health News
Supporters and critics of the Affordable Care Act seem to agree on at least one thing: Allowing young adults to stay on their parents' health plans until they reach age 26 is a smart move.
Generic Drug Maker Pleads Guilty in Federal Case
Monday, May 13, 2013, 8:58 pm ET; Source: The New York Times
The generic drug maker Ranbaxy pleaded guilty on Monday to federal drug safety violations and will pay $500 million in fines to resolve claims that it sold subpar drugs and made false statements to the Food and Drug Administration about its manufacturing practices at two factories in India, the company and federal prosecutors announced Monday.
Baby Boomers Are Money-Making Machines For Big Pharma
Monday, May 13, 2013, 11:41 am ET; Source: Seeking Alpha
Several pharmaceutical companies are working on or have developed key drugs to treat diabetes.
This News Is Bound to Give Obamacare a Big Boost
Monday, May 13, 2013, 11:20 am ET; Source: The Motley Fool
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, perhaps better known as Obamacare, is certainly one of the most controversial pieces of legislation to come out of the Obama administration.
U.S. Proposes Rule on Medicaid Payment Cuts for Hospitals
Monday, May 13, 2013, 5:52 pm ET; Source: Reuters
The U.S. government on Monday issued a proposed rule for cutting payments to hospitals that treat a disproportionate share of the poor, including a $500 million reduction in fiscal 2014, as part of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law.
CMS Won’t Penalize Hospitals In States Slow To Expand Medicaid
Tuesday, May 14, 2013; Source: Kaiser Health News
That sigh of relief you heard Monday was from hospital administrators in nearly two dozen states, including Florida and Texas.
Hospitals, Testing Companies Face Questions About Value Of Community Screenings
Tuesday, May 14, 2013; Source: Kaiser Health News
Hospitals hoping to attract patients and build their brands are teaming up with medical-screening companies to promote tests aimed at consumers worried about potentially deadly heart disease or strokes.
W.H. Won't Ding Medicaid Expansion Holdouts
Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 5:09 am ET; Source: Politico
The Obama administration has proposed delaying a potentially painful decision on whether to penalize states that refuse to expand Medicaid coverage for low-income populations under Obamacare.
Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan Report First Quarter 2013 Financial Results
Friday, May 10, 2013; Source: PR Newswire
Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and their respective subsidiaries reported today a combined total operating revenue of $13.3 billion for the quarter ending March 31, 2013, compared to $12.7 billion in the same period in 2012.
Employer-Sponsored Insurance Rose in Massachusetts
Monday, May 13, 2013, 10:54 am ET; Source: Bloomberg
The share of workers opting to take company medical coverage rather than more take-home pay rose in Massachusetts after the state overhauled its health system in 2006, a result the U.S. Affordable Care Act may replicate, a report suggests.
New Health Insurer Plans to Break into Michigan Market with Different Way of Doing Things
Monday, May 13, 2013, 6:00 am ET; Source: MLive.com
A new Michigan health insurance company is launching in a move that signifies the changing marketplace under health care reform.
Sutter Health has HMO License Ready to Go
Friday, May 10, 2013, 5:27 pm ET; Source: Bizjournals.com
Sutter Health quietly received its HMO license from the California Department of Managed Health Care on April 5.
Hudson Health Plan to Join MVP
Friday, May 10, 2013, 12:12 pm ET; Source: Bizjournals.com
MVP Health Care and Hudson Health Plan have signed an agreement for Hudson, a Tarrytown, NY-based Medicaid managed care organization, to join the Schenectady-based MVP.
Governor Herbert Releases Utah’s Health Care Plan, Critics Concerned
Friday, May 10, 2013; Source: Fox 13 News
Utah Governor Gary Herbert released his health care plan for the state Friday.
How Much Will Obamacare's Penalties Cost You?
Sunday, May 12, 2013, 10:25 am ET; Source: The Motley Fool
Obamacare is getting closer to full implementation, and many who oppose the provisions have looked at whether they can simply ignore its provisions and keep things the way they are.
HSA Contribution Limits Rise For 2014
Monday, May 13, 2013; Source: Go Local Worcester
Despite massive healthcare reform efforts, healthcare costs are continuing to surge so many consumers are taking matters into their own hands by opening Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
Small Businesses in Washington Lose Out on Subsidized Health Plans
Friday, May 10, 2013, 7:51 pm ET; Source: KPLU.org
Small businesses in Washington state will not be able to participate in the new health care law, because not enough insurance companies were willing to sell them coverage.
Walgreens Extends CVS Caremark Network Provider Agreement
Monday, May 13, 2013, 8:30 am ET; Source: Business Wire
Walgreens today said it has extended its agreement as a network pharmacy provider in the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) national retail network.
7 States Wasting the Most Money on Medications
Saturday, May 11, 2013; Source: The Motley Fool
The giant pharmacy benefits manager, or PBM, recently published information that shows how much each state wastes the most in unnecessary medication-related costs.
Huge Drug Cost Disparities Seen in Health Overhaul
Monday, May 13, 2013; Source: Associated Press
Cancer patients could face high costs for medications under President Barack Obama's health care law, industry analysts and advocates warn.
Finding the Needle of Opportunity in a Haystack of Obamacare
Friday, May 10, 2013; Source: The Motley Fool
Beyond the hot air from mass media, government bureaucracies, and pubic opinion, companies both large and small have been watching the changing healthcare environment closely.
The Real Impact of Irrational Hospital Pricing
Sunday, May 12, 2013, 5:33 pm ET; Source: The Motley Fool
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released hospital pricing data for the first time, and public outrage ensued.
Ohio Medicaid Could Equal Half of State Budget by 2040
Sunday, May 12, 2013; Source: Lancaster Eagle Gazette
This year’s Medicaid expansion debate has centered on providing care to more people, but a separate factor will play a large role in how expensive the health care program will become: cost for care of an aging population.
AP Analysis: MS Gov. Phil Bryant Gets Off Script in Medicaid Expansion Debate
Sunday, May 12, 2013; Source: The Associated Press
Sometimes, someone veers from the script.
Healthcare Puts Jerry Brown, Capitol Democrats on Different Sides
Friday, May 10, 2013; Source: Los Angeles Times
With California's deficit wiped out and its economy starting to hum, this was to be a year when Gov. Jerry Brown was free of the budget logjams that have paralyzed the Capitol.
Three New Health Reform Plans Ignore the Long-Term Care Needs of Seniors and People with Disabilities
Friday, May 10, 2013, 4:14 pm ET; Source: Forbes
In the past few weeks, no fewer than three highly respected groups have proposed major health care reforms.
Centene Corporation To Receive California Medi-cal Contract To Serve Imperial County
Friday, May 10, 2013, 8:00 am ET; Source: PR Newswire
Centene Corporation announced today that the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and the Imperial County Board of Supervisors have issued a notification of intent to award Centene's subsidiary, California Health and Wellness Plan, a contract to serve approximately 55,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries in Imperial County, pending finalization of a contract.
Small Biz Insurance Rates Hold Steady In Mass, For Now
Friday, May 10, 2013, 6:34 am ET; Source: wbur
Premiums for small firms are set to increase from a base of 2.5%, on average, in July.
Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Seeks Another $125 Million to Implement Obamacare
Thursday, May 09, 2013; Source: The Daily Caller
Conservative members of a nonprofit organization set up to run Colorado’s Affordable Care Act-mandated state health insurance exchange are reeling from sticker shock over the cost of rolling out the program.
Oregonians Can See Health Insurers' Rate Requests Online, State Seeks Public Feedback
Thursday, May 09, 2013, 12:25 pm ET; Source: OregonLive
Oregonian small businesses and individuals who buy their own insurance can now get a taste of what health insurers propose to charge for premiums next year at an easy-to-use state website.
Survey: Public Will Judge The Affordable Care Act On, Well, Affordability Of Care
Thursday, May 09, 2013; Source: PR Newswire
A new HealthPocket consumer survey looks at what factors will contribute to the perceived success or failure of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) beginning in January 1, 2014.
State Pharmacy Boards Back More FDA Oversight
Thursday, May 09, 2013, 2:48 pm ET; Source: Associated Press
State pharmacy officials on Thursday threw their support behind a proposal giving the Food and Drug Administration authority over large compounding pharmacies, in an effort to head off more outbreaks tied to contaminated medications.
Pharma’s Failure: Drug Spending Finally Declines
Thursday, May 09, 2013, 6:07 pm ET; Source: YCharts
For the first time in decades, US spending on medicines has ticked downwards.
The Unlikely Leader of the Next Health Care Revolution
Thursday, May 09, 2013; Source: The Motley Fool
The world of health care should see this maxim at work soon with a technology that many have predicted for years would be huge -- telemedicine.
Obama Wades Back into the Health Care Debate
Friday, May 10, 2013; Source: Associated Press
President Barack Obama is launching a new effort to rally the public around his hotly disputed health care law, a strategy aimed at shoring up key components of the sweeping federal overhaul and staving off yet another challenge from Republicans.
Adviser Suggests Extending Insure Oklahoma as State's Health Plan
Friday, May 10, 2013; Source: NewsOK
A foundation already is in place to expand health insurance coverage to poor Oklahomans who do not qualify for Medicaid, but how exactly the state will negotiate and pay for that is yet to be determined, a consultant told state officials Thursday.
Kentucky Medicaid Expansion: Steve Beshear Agrees To Expand Program
Thursday, May 09, 2013, 1:40 pm ET; Source: Huffington Post
Gov. Steve Beshear (D) announced Kentucky would participate in a key element of President Barack Obama's health care plan to enroll more people in Medicaid.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia Supports Gov. Tomblin's Decision to Expand Medicaid within West Virginia
Thursday, May 09, 2013; Source: PR Newswire
Executives of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia (Highmark West Virginia) today announced that the company supports Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin 's recent decision to expand the state's Medicaid program to cover thousands of uninsured West Virginians.
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