Health Insurance News Online

Health First Insurance Offers Diabetes Foot Clinics

2009-05-26T14:20:00.003-04:00

Florida’s Health First Insurance Wound Management Center is offering foot screenings for free to anyone with Diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association states that diabetes patients may suffer from poor circulation in the legs and feet. They also may have a harder time fighting infection in these areas. Many diabetes patients have reduced feeling in the lower extremities because of nerve damage. These risks increase the chance of infection which could ultimately lead to amputation.

The serious risks associated with Diabetes has lead Health First Insurance to offer weekly Diabetes Foot Check Clinics. The free screen by a physician includes reviewing foot circulation, temperature, sensation, toenails, and open sores. Patient education and recommendations are also provided all free of charge.

To receive more information on the clinics, visit Health First Health Plans’ website.

Health Insurance: Republican Bill Introduced

2009-05-21T21:58:00.002-04:00

A health reform bill was introduced by the Republican Party giving tax payers credit for purchasing health insurance. It didn't include a public insurance choice.

The Patients' Choice Act would halt tax cuts for companies that offer health insurance and give tax credits to those purchasing their own health insurance. More money would be given to lower income families. The Republicans intend to make it easier to shop around for health insurance and assume company-based health insurance is going away as more benefits are taken away and it becomes more and more expensive for the employee.

The Importance of Health Insurance Coverage

2009-05-14T21:22:00.001-04:00

Many Americans have health insurance through their employers. But as the economy struggles and the working world changes, employment is no longer a health insurance guarantee. America continues to move from a manufacturing based economy to a service economy and working patterns are evolving. This, in turn has made employer based health insurance less stable.

Many small employers cannot afford to offer health benefits. And of the companies who do offer health benefits, many are charging the employee more of the cost. Because of these factors, many Americans are choosing to not take advantage of job based health insurance. But having coverage is still as important as ever. Everyone should have health insurance with basic benefits at a minimum.

Health Insurance and Gender

2009-05-06T19:43:00.002-04:00

Health insurance carriers tend to charge women higher rates than men, making the argument that women have higher medical costs. This has been questioned by Congress recently and it may change.

A bill was introduced by Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry that would prohibit the health insurance industry from charging women more than men. This could be the push needed to get health insurers to take gender out of the equation when determining premiums.

It's important to ensure you have the best health insurance rate, and through comparison shopping online you can quickly and easily see what is available. Visit http://www.fast-health-insurance.com/ to begin your quotes.

Many Businesses Calling For Health Insurance Reform

2009-03-15T16:07:00.003-04:00

A Reuters article by Donna Smith reports that businesses throughout America are in favor of some type of health insurance reform. Employers claim that they are at a disadvantage globally; they typically have to provide health insurance to their employees (while not legally required, it's a generally accepted inevitability for most large employers), as opposed to most industrialized nations that provide government-subsidized health care. Major economic competitors (United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, France, and Germany) were found to spend 63 cents for every $1 America spends on health care, while fast-developing economies like China, India, and Brazil spend only 15 cents per dollar.

The Business Roundtable, a consortium of the largest U.S. companies, worries that American companies will be less able to survive the recession as a result of these disparities in health care costs. They also point to evidence that employees in the United States are less healthy than those in other nations! Unhealthier employees could end up being less efficient.

Recommendations by the group are similar some proposed by the Barack Obama administration, including health insurance mandates and the use of technology to increase efficiency and decrease the cost of care. The Business Roundtable opposes dominant government-run health insurance plans, but supports some public aid for those unable to afford insurance.

Obama Picks Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services

2009-03-02T11:19:00.004-05:00

The Associated Press' Richard Alonzo-Zaldivar reports that President Barack Obama has chosen Kansas Governor and Democrat Kathleen Sebelius as his Secretary of Health and Human Services. She is a former state insurance commissioner who is knowledgeable about the complexities surrounding health care and insurance issues and is known for her ability to reach across the aisle to accomplish goals.

However, she does not have as many connections in Congress as former nominee Tom Daschle. As a result, Obama is also planning to name a seperate person as the head of a White House health care reform department; Daschle was set to fill both posts simultaneously. She also has to be confirmed by Congress, which seems likely due to the support she has recieved from both consumer advocates and the health insurance industry.

HHS is responsible for both federal government-sponsored health care programs, Medicare and Medicaid. Part of Sebelius' job will be to solve the problem of Medicare's dwindling finances and inefficiency while still expanding health care coverage to more Americans.

Q&A: Health Care and the Obama Budget

2009-02-27T17:25:00.006-05:00

President Obama has announced his proposed budget for the next fiscal year, and health care is a major priority. Robert Pear details the budget in The New York Times. Here are some answers to questions you may have about health insurance and the budget.

Q: How will he expand medical coverage to the uninsured?

A: Details are vague right now; he says he'll discuss it with Congress over the next year. He has called for a $634 billion reserve fund to be set aside for that purpose.

Q: Is there increased funding for medical research in the budget?

A: Yes; $6 billion will go to the National Institutes of Health for cancer research, and he aims to eventually double that amount. More funding will also go to the Food and Drug Administration to speed up research that will allow cheaper generic drugs to reach the market faster.

Q: Are there any provisions specific to women's health?

A: The budget would expand eligibility for family planning services (e.g. birth control) to women on Medicaid.

Q: How will health care reform be paid for?

A: Obama plans to cut spending over the next decade in certain areas to cover it:

Requiring pharmaceutical companies to give greater discounts to Medicaid (22% instead of the current 15%)
Reducing Medicare payments to health insurance companies that provide comprehensive care, such as Medicare Advantage plans
Cutting payments to home health agencies
Giving hospitals "bundled payments" that cover care provided by home health agencies and nursing homes for the following month after they leave the hospital, in addition to the hospital's care itself. Payments will be cut to hospitals that re-admit too many of their patients during the first 30 days.
Medicare beneficiaries with higher incomes will see their prescription drug coverage premiums increase.

Q: About how much money will that free up in total?

A: Obama's estimates claim that those provisions will save at least $239 billion.

Q: What about doctors and Medicare? Will their payments be cut?

A: It seems like they won't be. Even though current laws call for a reduction in payments, sources say that Congress will make sure that doctors are not affected.

Keep in mind that this budget probably won't pass as is and will likely see significant changes when debated by Congress. Not to mention, various lobbyist groups have already expressed their opposition to some of these proposals.

Health Care and the Stimulus Package

2009-02-24T11:26:00.004-05:00

The recently passed financial stimulus includes several measures that will increase federal funding for health care in the United States. Most notably, COBRA coverage for the laid off will be subsidized by 65% for nine months, which will help 7 million retain health insurance at a cost of almost $25 billion.

Other provisions in the stimulus package include:

Investments in health care information technology infrastructure to encourage greater adoption of electronic health records; this will include Medicaid and Medicare incentives. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this will save the government and health care industry over $12 billion. ($19 billion cost)
Funding for training programs to encourage doctors to practice in under-served locations ($500 million)
Community Health Centers in rural and urban areas that are under-served by doctors and serve many uninsured individuals will also receive funding ($500 million)
An unknown amount of funding will go to several Cabinet departments (including the Centers for Disease Control, Veteran's Health Administration, Indian Health Service, Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health) in order to build and repaid health care facilities, invest in preventative health care, and research health care strategies.

Many Democrats have been calling for health care reform, and these items might be part of that process.

Daschle Out For Obama Administration's Health Care Reform Position

2009-02-09T14:19:00.003-05:00

Recently, Tom Daschle took himself out of consideration as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration. Tthe president’s plans to overhaul the country’s health care system could lose momentum and be significantly delayed. Daschle was a clear health care expert and carried quite a bit of political influence as a former Senate majority leader. The current health care reform plan was built around Daschle steering the ship.

Many supports say that the sudden change will not derail the efforts for health care reform, but Daschle is widely recognized as being an authority regarding health and health reform issues.

The leading candidates to fill the position are:

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius;
U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut;
Mark McClellan, former head of the Food and Drug Administration;
and former Democratic Party chief and Doctor Howard Dean.

It seems like a good list, but which one would do the best job? Maybe Obama will choose someone else entirely.

Daschle: Too Close to Health Care Industry?

2009-02-03T11:23:00.005-05:00

Tom Daschle, the Obama administration's nominee for secretary of health and human services, has ties to the health care industry he is trying to reform, says an editorial in the New York Times. He is knowledgeable and has written a book about the topic. Many former senators have used their experience and clout in Congress to work as an advisor in the private sector.

Despite not being a registered lobbyist, he has been paid for policy advice by UnitedHealth Group. As a Mayo Clinic trustee, the former Senate majority leader opposed a federal loan that would locate a railroad near their headquarters (it was later rejected). In addition, his speaking engagements after leaving the Senate have included appearances in front of pharmacy boards and health insurance plans.

While there is no indication that these past connections would bias his decisions, the Times believes Daschle is too close to the health insurance industry to be an effective leader on the health care issues promoted by the administration, including the expansion of universal health care coverage.

Senate, House Consider COBRA Health Insurance Subsidies

2009-01-23T16:43:00.006-05:00

As part of the financial stimulus, the Senate Finance Committee is considering a temporary subsidy for a portion of COBRA health insurance premiums for laid-off worker, says Jerry Geisel of Business Insurance. People who have been laid off (or will be let go) from September 1st, 2008 until December 31st of this year are eligible. The proposal entails the federal government paying 65% of premiums for up to nine months.

Currently, many former employees end up uninsured because they are unable to pay the significantly higher charges under COBRA compared to their former employer-based insurance plans. That is because employers no longer chip in a portion of the insurance costs for former employees. COBRA also charges a percentage fee on top of that! It isn't used as much as much as it could be as a result.

The House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee, meanwhile, is deliberating a 12-month subsidy for health insurance premiums under COBRA.

Obama Wants to Provide Federal Health Insurance Assistant to Laid-Off Workers

2009-01-06T13:10:00.000-05:00

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan proposed by President-Elect Barack Obama includes as an economic jump-start includes a possible two-year expansion of Medicaid, as well as subsidies for employers who provide continued coverage for retired and laid off workers. These proposed measures were outlined in the Insurance and Financial Advisor.

Obama, along with Congressional Democrats, wants to expand federal insurance assistance by opening Medicaid enrollment to individuals laid off from jobs that didn't provide health insurance coverage.

In addition, they are proposing that employers be subsidized for the mandated COBRA coverage they must provide to former employees and their dependents.

These policies are intended solely as a temporary fix to get the U.S. out of the current recession, and would expire in two years if enacted. Obama is currently in talks with congressional leaders regarding his economic stimulus plan, prior to his inaguration on January 20th.

UnitedHealth Spends Almost $1 Million on Lobbyists

2008-12-18T12:45:00.004-05:00

In the third quarter ending September 30th, health insurance provider/HMO UnitedHealth spent about $970,000 lobbying on behalf of various health care issues. The Associated Press says that UnitedHealth lobbied Congress--as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department--on several health- and coverage-related issues, including:

the expansion of health savings accounts (HSAs)
electronic personal health records
a law that forbids group health care providers from enforcing extra coverage restrictions on those policyholders dealing with drug addiction or mental illnesses (Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act)

Serving as another example of the revolving door between government and lobbyists, a former staff member of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Means and Ways Committee was one of the lobbyists hired by UnitedHealth.

Daschle: Obama's Learned From Clinton's Mistakes

2008-12-10T11:50:00.003-05:00

Kevin Freking from the Associated Press recently wrote that newly appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services (and leader of the Transition's Health Policy Team) Tom Daschle is certain that President-Elect Barack Obama will be more successful in enacting health care reform than Bill Clinton was 15 years ago. Clinton's infamous failure in ensuring affordable health insurance for all Americans has been blamed on procrastination that wasted momentum and allowed other issues to distract from health care issues.

According to Kevin and Daschle, another flaw of the Clinton attempt at universal coverage was its secrecy. This time around, the Obama administration is asking for the American public's experiences with their health insurance. The transition team is encouraging people to hold health care community discussions throughout the country later this month to gather opinions.

Obama / Biden Healthcare Plan

2008-10-20T16:29:00.002-04:00

Barack Obama's health care proposals include certain reforms that would affect health insurance companies. These include: requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, as well as preventing insurance companies from overcharging physicians for malpractice insurance and invest in practices that reduce the number of medical errors.

Obama's health care plan would create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit that would help small businesses provide health insurance to their workers. It would also ensure that anyone who needs a tax credit for their premiums will receive it.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Vetoes Health Insurance Bill

2008-10-07T13:18:00.002-04:00

The California health insurance legislation would have cracked down on health insurance providers that cancel coverage for individuals who have filed expensive claims. Schwarzenegger called this practice 'deplorable' but complained that the bill was missing consumer protections and therefore did not choose to let it pass.

McCain's Health Plan Means More Uninsured Americans

2008-09-17T14:17:00.003-04:00

An analysis published in the journal, Health Affairs, shows that the mccain health plan would result in no immediate change in the level of Americans without health insurance, but, over time would result in an increasing number of uninsured Americans. This is because the value of the proposed tax credit would not be able to keep up with rising health care costs.

There are significant concerns that a transition to an unregulated non-group market, as McCain's plan calls for, would increase costs, reduce benefits and limit consumer protections.

Eliminating the income tax preference for employer-sponsored coverage would result in at least 20 million Americans losing their health insurance.

New Orleans Health Care System Shows Signs of Recovery

2008-08-19T11:59:00.004-04:00

The American Journal of the Medical Sciences reports that the number of doctors per capita in the New Orleans area has now exceeded the national average. While the national average is 237 physicians per 100 thousand people, the New Orleans region had 256 doctors per 100 thousand people. Although there is enough health care available, access continues to be a problem. A lack of New Orleans health insurance coverage and financially unstable hospitals remain serious issues in the region.

Find a high quality health plan to make sure you have access to the hospitals and physicians you need. Specialists have been slow to return to the area, so it's important to get a health plan that provides coverage for your specific health needs.

Obama & Clinton Debate Health Care

2008-02-27T10:19:00.002-05:00

In last night's Democratic debate, Senators Clinton and Obama argued over their plans to establish universal health care in the United States. The details were hard to follow because most of their disagreements were over what each candidate had done to allegedly misrepresent the other's plan. What is the difference between the health care plans?

Obama charges that Clinton's plan would 'force' all Americans to obtain health insurance, 'whether they can afford it or not'. Clinton defends this accusation by stating that her plan would subsidize coverage for those who cannot afford it.

Clinton asserts that Obama's plan would not work, in the same way that Social Security would not have worked if Franklin Roosevelt had made it optional.

Obama defended his position by explaining that people want health insurance coverage, and if it were affordable, people would invest in it because it's a 'good deal'. Obama's plan does require that parents obtain health insurance coverage for their children, but also stipulates that young people will be covered under their parents' insurance until the age of 25.

While Hillary Clinton has a great deal of experience in fighting for universal health care, Obama contends that she has not been successful in bringing the powerful players together to make it happen. Clinton has admitted that she learned a lot after her health care initiative failed in 1993.

The focus of the 16 minute health care discussion that opened the debate was whether or not health coverage should be mandated. Obama and Clinton have very similar plans aside from this detail. In either case, the fight for universal health care will be an uphill battle. Depending on public and legislative sentiment, not to mention health insurance and pharmaceutical companies, the details of either plan may have to be altered to ultimately be successful.

Barack Obama's Health Plan

2008-02-21T12:27:00.002-05:00

Obama's Plan for a Healthy America will offer a new national health plan to all Americans that is similar to the plan covering Congressmen. Obama's Health Plan will have features including:

Guaranteed Eligibility: no one will be refused insurance because of illness or pre-existing conditions
Comprehensive Benefits: the plan will cover all essential medical services including preventive, maternity and mental health care
Easy Enrollment
Ability to move from job to job without jeopardizing health care coverage
Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles
Mandatory coverage of children

Hillary Clinton's Health Plan

2008-02-21T11:44:00.004-05:00

Hillary Clinton's web site describes her 'American Health Choices Plan' as affordable, available and reliable. The plan is to cover ALL Americans and improve health care quality while decreasing expenses.

How will Hillary's Health Plan ensure affordable health insurance coverage for every American?

Provide Tax Relief: working families get a refundable tax credit to assist in acquiring high quality coverage
Create Small Business Tax Credit: health care tax credit for small businesses will offer incentive for employee based coverage
Limit Premium Payments to a Percentage of Income: refundable tax credit will prevent premiums from exceeding a set percentage of family's income
Start a Retiree Health Legacy Initiative: to offset a substantial portion of catastrophic expenditures, a new tax credit for qualifying public and private retiree health insurance plans
Strengthen Medicaid and CHIP: plan will fix problems with safety net to protect most vulnerable members of American society

The plan would allow Americans to select a plan from the same Health Care Menu offered to members of Congress, or keep your current plan.

Infertility May Be Prevented With Diet & Lifestyle Changes

2007-11-07T15:14:00.000-05:00

Boston, Massachusetts
2007 October 31
Harvard School of Public Health

The November 2007 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology reports that women who implemented five or more lifestyle changes, such as altering certain aspects of their diet, experienced over eighty percent less relative risk of infertility (due to ovulatory disorders) than women who did not implement such changes. Factors include protein, fat and dairy consumption as well as iron levels and exercise.

About the Harvard School of Public Health: Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to advancing the public's health through learning, discovery, and communication. More than 300 faculty members are engaged in teaching and training the 900-plus student body in a broad spectrum of disciplines crucial to the health and well being of individuals and populations around the world. Programs and projects range from the molecular biology of AIDS vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from risk analysis to violence prevention; from maternal and children's health to quality of care measurement; from health care management to international health and human rights.

Read the article in full.

APA Offers Disaster & Mental Health Resources to California Fire Victims

2007-10-26T13:17:00.000-04:00

In an effort to help those affected by the California wildfires, the American Psychiatric Association has offered advice on how best to cope with this type of trauma. Suggestions for maintaining good mental health in this type of situation include:

- Talk to friends and family who are experiencing the same feelings
- Stay informed of new developments but do not obsess or watch news coverage constantly
- If feelings of anxiety and depression continue, seek help from a psychiatric professional

For more information, read the full article.

75 ,000 Deaths Attributed to Gap in Quality Health Care

2007-10-12T15:02:00.000-04:00

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) reports that the quality of health care is continually improving for about 84 million Americans. Over 100 million Americans, however, are missing out on this level of health care. NCQA attributes an estimated 75,000 deaths to this gap in health care. Visit the NCQA web site to read this article in full.

RWJF Links Childhood Obesity with TV Ads & School Policies

2007-10-03T16:43:00.000-04:00

Press Release
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Chicago, IL

Studies released in a special edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicate that childhood obesity can be partially attributable to soft drink company contracts with middle schools & high schools, a disproportionate number of fast food restaurants in low income neighborhoods and advertising that encourages young people to spend their money on junk food.

Find information on family and individual health insurance options.

To read the article in its entirety, please visit the RWJF Newsroom.