…in Colorado, Cover Colorado provides a reasonable coverage option, although many people find that the only deductible they can afford is much higher than they would like. But what about people who live in the 40% of states that don’t have a high risk pool? Or the ones who live in states where the high risk pool was financially swamped ages ago and hasn’t […]
Archives for April 2008
Genetic Testing Anti-Discrimination Law
InsureBlog made some good points last fall about the bill, and why it’s not really all that helpful. In terms of the small group market, I would agree, since small group plans are guaranteed issue, and in Colorado, the state has restricted insurers from increasing premiums for small groups based on medical history – regardless of how the medical information was obtained […]
Midwifery Care Is Good For Health Insurance Carriers
…in Colorado there is no such thing as home-birth coverage on individual policies. In fact, there are only a handful of health insurance carriers in Colorado that offer maternity coverage on individual policies at all, and for most people, the coverage provided isn’t worth the extra premium […]
Kaiser Permanente Provider Change for Boulder/Longmont Area
Effective June 1, 2008, Boulder Valley Individual Practice Association (BVIPA) and the Longmont Clinic will no longer participate in the Kaiser Permanente Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS) provider network. PHCS is the provider network available to Kaiser Permanente Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and Point of Service (POS) members in Colorado. Kaiser says […]
Smoking Can Be Hazardous To Your Career
Whirlpool has suspended 39 employees for lying about tobacco use, and the employees could face termination once their cases are investigated by the company. At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, we’ve written about wellness programs that are becoming more common among large employers, and about our disappointment that the DOL is starting to consider wellness… Read more about Smoking Can Be Hazardous To Your Career
50th Cav and Student Health Insurance
These plans (even the ones not issued through MEGA Life & Health) offer the same misleading general information that most people don’t look much beyond – a low deductible, 80/20 coinsurance, copays for doctors visits and Rx, and even maternity coverage. Check out the plan information for Colorado State University (CSU) and Colorado University (CU) […]
Dr. Val Has the Latest Grand Rounds
Dr. Val and the Voice of Reason put together the latest edition of Grand Rounds and did an excellent job. Take a look.
Colorado HB1389 Needs Some Work
Health insurance premiums in Colorado have been rising far more than wages for years. Jay and I pay more than twice as much now for our high deductible health insurance policy compared with what we were paying five years ago. We talk with clients all the time who are considering going without health insurance because the premiums […]
Taking a Closer Look at Colorado HB 1389
Colorado House Bill 1389, dubbed the Fair & Accountable Insurance Act, was approved by the House Business Affairs & Labor Committee. It now goes to the House Appropriations Committee. This bill, introduced by Rep. Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) and Sen. Paula Sandoval (D-Denver), addresses a very complicated issue and we at the Colorado Health Insurance Insider… Read more about Taking a Closer Look at Colorado HB 1389
More Care Does Not Mean Better Care
None of the hospitals in the Dartmouth study are in Colorado, but I’m curious now to see how the major Colorado hospitals pay their doctors. Given a choice, I would be more inclined to use a hospital that pays physicians a salary, rather than using a per-procedure compensation structure.
HR5719 Could Get The Presidential Axe
HR5719 is facing a potential veto from the White House because of the HSA limitations proposed in the bill. At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, we feel that the proposal in HR5719 to require that HSA participants provide proof of medical expenses would bog down the relative simplicity that HSAs currently provide. Evolution Benefits, the… Read more about HR5719 Could Get The Presidential Axe
Health Beat Has the Health Wonk Review
In addition to Louise’s article on the new fourth tier here on the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, Maggie also had a recent post where she asks “Who Sets the Price at $100,000” and, does anyone happen to know, “Are These Drugs Effective?”
Government Health Care Is Better Than None At All
I found this article at the Health Care Blog and wanted to share it with our readers. Obviously this doesn’t only apply to McCain. All big-time politicians get government-funded health care. It’s a sweet benefit of working for the government. And there’s no way around the fact that it makes it difficult for a politician… Read more about Government Health Care Is Better Than None At All
A Bad Trend in Rx Coverage
We have health insurance to guard against financial devastation in the face of serious health problems. But when we separate out the prescription coverage from the rest of the policy, we’re leaving seriously ill patients to fall between the cracks.
Surprise Medical Bill from Out-of-Network DME Provider
We got a bill last week for $397 from the company that provided Jay’s crutches, knee brace, and ice machine when he had knee surgery in January. The surgery was done at the Vail Valley Medical Center in Vail, Colorado, by Dr. Steadman; both the hospital and the doctor are on our Humana PPO network…. Read more about Surprise Medical Bill from Out-of-Network DME Provider
Evolution Benefits Withdraws Support for HR5719
In a follow-up to our article on Wednesday, Evolution Benefits has sent a letter to Congress asking the House Ways and Means Committee to withdraw their proposal. View the Evolution Benefits letter
Dying For Health Insurance
We’ve all read the articles about how much more likely an uninsured person is to die from a treatable illness, compared with their insured neighbors. Now we have some concrete numbers. Families USA is a national organization for health care consumers, and today they released a very comprehensive state-by-state report showing how many people die… Read more about Dying For Health Insurance
Recycling Drugs To Fill Prescriptions for The Uninsured
I’ve seen several articles recently about prescription drug donation/recycling programs, which I think is a great idea. True, it may be like trying to move a mountain with a spoon, but doesn’t that beat not trying at all? The articles I found didn’t mention anything about Rx donation and recycling programs here in Colorado, and… Read more about Recycling Drugs To Fill Prescriptions for The Uninsured
Bureaucracy Wielding Its Sword Over The HSA
The House Ways and Means Committee met today to discuss HR 5719 – the “Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008” (I love when they come up with names like that – it sounds like the whole thing will be warm and fuzzy and make life easier for all of us). One of the many… Read more about Bureaucracy Wielding Its Sword Over The HSA
Health Care For All Pregnant Women
I just came across a great article from Midwife With A Knife (The RHI Health Blog of the Week on Regulating Health Insurance). It’s about the frustration felt by a doctor dealing with non-compliant patients – in this case, pregnant diabetics who don’t manage their blood sugar and insulin during pregnancy, and end up with… Read more about Health Care For All Pregnant Women
A Big Grand Rounds
If you like medical and health blogs, Dr. Wes has three dozen articles in the latest edition of Grand Rounds. All of them are very interesting, including the one about how much orthopedic surgeons love their work and the fun of eavesdropping on others in the waiting room… what HIPAA? The last article from the… Read more about A Big Grand Rounds
It Pays To Be A Non-Profit Hospital
At least two of the blogs we read have posted articles relating to a Wall Street Journal feature about how non-profit hospitals in America are doing pretty darn well on the money front. Schwitzer Health News Blog and GoozNews have both written about this eye-opening story, and I had to go read it for myself…. Read more about It Pays To Be A Non-Profit Hospital
Why Is There A Balance To Bill In The First Place?
In CA, regulators are working to impose a ban on “balance billing” – the practice of billing patients for amounts over what their health insurance companies will pay for a given procedure. While most health insurance networks prohibit balance billing, there are only eight states that regulate the practice, and a good number of patients… Read more about Why Is There A Balance To Bill In The First Place?
The Best in Health Care
The Health Care Blog is the host of the latest Health Wonk Review. Take a look at the latest collection of health care articles from folks who continually plug away at questions about health care and how it can be better. There is an article from the Colorado Health Insurance Insider about the support of… Read more about The Best in Health Care
Colorado Lawmakers Addressing Health Insurance Premium Increases
Colorado lawmakers have proposed legislation that would tighten restrictions on health insurance carriers regarding premium increases and the timeliness of claims payment. The bill to limit premium increases was sponsored by state representative Morgan Carroll (D), who cited a 60% increase in health insurance premiums in Colorado between 2001 and 2005. During the same time,… Read more about Colorado Lawmakers Addressing Health Insurance Premium Increases