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Colorado Health Insurance Insider

Cutting edge health insurance analysis. Licensed broker assistance.

You are here: Home / Archives for carrier profits

carrier profits

Health Insurance Exchange Payroll and Admin Expenses

October 20, 2011 By Louise Norris

[…] One of the comments on the post was from Dede de Percin, the Executive Director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI). […] Dede’s comment on my article referenced the point I made about consumers not having to pay additional fees to have a broker. Basically, health insurance is priced the same whether you go directly through a health insurance carrier (calling Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield directly, for example) or through a broker (who will compare options from multiple carriers for you). Dede made this point:
“While a consumer or business doesn’t not pay a health insurance broker directly, broker fees and commissions are paid by the insurance companies – and rolled into […]”

Filed Under: Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Colorado Division Of Insurance, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Exchanges, Health Insurance Reform, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies

Medicare Trustees Report Not So Gloomy

May 27, 2011 By Louise Norris

[…] One way or another, we need to seek solutions that will enable Medicare to pay the 10% shortfall that is currently predicted for a decade from now. That can be accomplished by cutting costs, increasing revenues, or both. But we don’t need to start from scratch and overhaul the entire system, especially with the improvements that the PPACA has already created.

Filed Under: Health Care Goodies, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Reform, Medicare

Capping Profits And Admin Costs Across The Healthcare Industry

November 23, 2010 By Louise Norris

[…] Time will tell, but it seems that as long as doctors, hospitals, medical device makers, and pharmaceutical companies are exempt from any rules concerning profits and administrative costs, the MLR rules might not have much long term impact on the actual cost of health insurance. Premiums will keep rising (at a pace similar to what we’ve seen over the last several years) as long as the cost of healthcare continues to climb at the same rate it has for the last decade or so.

Filed Under: Health Insurance Reform, Policy, Providers

Health Insurance Across State Lines Not As Simple As It Sounds

December 17, 2009 By Louise Norris

[…] I’m not opposed to the idea of health insurance companies that could operate on a national basis, allowing people to keep their health insurance if they move to another state. But such a plan would have to be overseen by federal guidelines. Simply opening things up to allowing health insurance companies to base themselves in any state they choose, operate under that state’s laws, and sell health insurance in all states, would take us to the lowest common denominator in terms of consumer protections.

Filed Under: Anthem Blue Cross, Health Insurance Reform, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies

Grand Rounds Vol. 6 No. 8

November 17, 2009 By Louise Norris

How To Cope With Pain brings us a truly amazing video. It’s a reminder to be thankful for all that we have, and for the things in life (like this video) that inspire us. It’s well worth the five minutes it takes to watch it.

Amy Tenderich of Diabetes Mine shares a “would you rather…?” moment from her 9-year old daughter. It’s a poignant reminder, seen through the eyes of a child, that all of the parts of our lives – even the bad parts – combine to make us who we are […]

Filed Under: Health Care Goodies, Health Insurance Reform, Medicare, Policy, Providers

Profitability And The Health Insurance Industry

June 8, 2009 By Louise Norris

[…] The industry as a whole chalked up a profit margin of more than 10% in 2007, but that was carried by the life insurance side of the industry. Health insurance companies don’t fare nearly as well when it comes to making profits. Far more of their revenues are eaten up by claims, which continue to grow year after year as health care costs increase.

Filed Under: Accident/Injury, Anthem Blue Cross, Insurance Companies

Salaries For Healthcare Executives

January 28, 2009 By Louise Norris

[…] With other private industries, we have more of a choice in terms of quality, price, and whether we want the product in the first place. Somehow it doesn’t feel right that healthcare is set up just like all of our other industries, with executives making 7 and 8 figure salaries while millions of Americans are without health insurance and don’t have realistic access to healthcare at all.

Filed Under: Health Care Goodies

Medicare Buy In Option A Good Idea

December 30, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] I wonder what would happen if they did decide to open Medicare up to anyone who wanted it and was able to pay for it? If the premiums were lower than what you pay now, would you switch? I’m guessing that a lot of the 744,000 uninsured people here in Colorado would be willing to take a chance on government-run health care if they could afford the premiums. […]

Filed Under: Health Insurance Reform, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies, Medicare

What Drives Health Insurance Premiums

June 11, 2008 By Louise Norris

Aetna CEO Ron Williams, who spoke today with the Senate Finance Committee about rising health insurance premiums. Williams cited the 6.6% profit margin reported for Aetna last year, and made the case that rising health insurance premiums are a reflection of rising health care costs, and that health insurance carriers have to raise prices in order to […]

Filed Under: Aetna, Health Insurance Reform, Individual/Family Health, Policy

Individual Health Insurance Won’t Work For Everyone

June 6, 2008 By Louise Norris

We work primarily in the individual health insurance market. Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the US, and yet we still have about one applicant in ten unable to obtain coverage. Luckily we have a high risk pool – Cover Colorado – that we can present as a last resort, but the high premiums and out-of-pocket expenses can be a bit off-putting. Although 9 out of 10 applicants […]

Filed Under: Group Health, Health Insurance Reform, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies, Policy

Colorado HB1389 Passes House And Senate

May 22, 2008 By Louise Norris

HB 1389, the Fair Accountable Insurance Rates Act of 2008, has passed the Colorado House and Senate, and is headed to governor Bill Ritter for his signature next month. Health insurance companies doing business in Colorado will now be required to get approval from the state before enacting rate increases, and will have to disclose… Read more about Colorado HB1389 Passes House And Senate

Filed Under: Health Insurance Reform, Insurance Companies, Policy

Rescinded Health Insurance Policies Getting Reinstated

May 19, 2008 By Louise Norris

I’m curious to see how the situation in CA will affect our health insurance industry practices here in Colorado. I firmly believe that health insurance companies should do their homework before approving a policy, and that once a policy is issued by the insurer and accepted by the member, it should be a binding agreement. I know that would cost the health insurance companies […]

Filed Under: Health Insurance Reform, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies, Kaiser Permanente

Colorado Lawmakers Addressing Health Insurance Premium Increases

April 2, 2008 By Louise Norris

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

Filed Under: Health Insurance Reform, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies

Lower Share Prices For Humana And Wellpoint

March 12, 2008 By Louise Norris

Humana and Wellpoint – both major players in the Colorado health insurance market – lowered their 2008 earnings projections on Wall Street this week. In both cases, higher-than-expected claims volume is partially to blame. Humana’s earnings drop is mainly tied to claims with their Medicare prescription drug program, which the company says will reset after… Read more about Lower Share Prices For Humana And Wellpoint

Filed Under: Anthem Blue Cross, Humana, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies

Sending Healthcare Overseas

November 2, 2006 By Louise Norris

It probably won’t suprise anyone to learn that US businesses are looking into the possibility of sending employees overseas for medical treatments that tend to be costly at home. Afterall, US businesses have been outsourcing production and customer service overseas for years. So far, only a handful of employees have been sent overseas by their… Read more about Sending Healthcare Overseas

Filed Under: Group Health, Insurance Companies, Travel

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