http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Months of uncertainty ended late Thursday afternoon when Union Hospital Health Group and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced they had reached an agreement on a new multi-year contract. The pact came just a day ahead of a deadline that had loomed l... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1012884_19.html 02nd August 2009 This Week in Health Care Reform After weeks of logjam on Capitol Hill, lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have reported progress in their respective negotiations this week, clearing way for a possible vote on sweeping health care reform legi... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1012737_19.html 02nd August 2009 The House is scheduled to leave town for summer recess on July 31, and the Senate's current schedule sends them home a week later on August 7. It will be next to impossible for the House to address health care reform on the floor in that timeframe, and th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1010504_19.html 01st August 2009 We at Independence Blue Cross understand that the status quo in health care is unsustainable. It is inexcusable that one in seven of our fellow Americans is uninsured. No one should be barred from coverage by age or preexisting conditions. And rising heal... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1010246_19.html 01st August 2009 n 2005, the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) began requiring universities guarantee their athletes have adequate health insurance due to many years of concerns that college athletes had insufficient health coverage. The association did not, ho... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1010215_19.html 01st August 2009 Today, the largest Ohio-based healthcare insurer, Medical Mutual of Ohio, and one of Ohio’s largest medical liability carriers, The Doctors Company, and its Ohio based subsidiary OHIC Insurance Company (OHIC) announced an initiative to better connect pa... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1010190_19.html 01st August 2009 As President Barack Obama prepares to address the nation tonight, a new survey provides a boost to his claim that the health care system is at a perilous place and in need of reform. Since September of last year, nearly five million adults have lost their... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006518_19.html 31st July 2009 The number of people officially recognized as having no healthcare insurance coverage in the United States has jumped from 46 million in 2007 to 52 million in 2009. The Center for American Progress reported in May that the rate of uninsurance was up subst... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006499_19.html 31st July 2009 nitedHealth Group, which already owns a formidable market share in the New York metropolitan area, is about to become even larger and more powerful in that region with the acquisition of Health Net’s 578,000 members in New York, New Jersey, and Connecti... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006470_19.html 31st July 2009 Rural should not mean less when it comes to health care. As health care reform begins, and we struggle to get a state budget passed, we have an opportunity to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have access to quality health care. The health and welfare of ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006438_19.html 31st July 2009 Polls indicate that most Americans are satisfied with their coverage. But the White House and other advocates of overhauling healthcare say people are probably paying more for insurance each year. Premiums for employer-provided plans have risen four time... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006412_19.html 31st July 2009 As President Barack Obama pushes Congress to pass a healthcare reform package in the next two weeks, South Florida employers have two main messages to the nation's top policymakers: Reduce costs and don't mess up small businesses. Some Congressional l... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006372_19.html 31st July 2009 As President Barack Obama prepared to take to the airwaves to defend his health care overhaul last week, Hernando school officials got a little insurance sticker shock of their own. The district's insurance carrier, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006328_19.html 31st July 2009 State regulators say Pennsylvania has one of the least competitive health insurance markets in the nation and they want to find out why. The state Insurance Department has launched a formal examination of the four nonprofit Blue Cross insurers in Penns... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006297_19.html 30th July 2009 Most know that Senate democrats have issued a statement claiming that the August deadline on Health Care reform imposed by Barack Obama will not be met, but not many know that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel says that they will vote on the legisla... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006263_19.html 30th July 2009 Hamilton Health Care System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia have reached an agreement to provide health care services for the University System of Georgia. The agreement will allow any of the 50,000 employees and retirees of the university system... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006233_19.html 30th July 2009 UnitedHealthcare has reached an agreement with Health Net Inc., to acquire its subsidiaries in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey in a deal that could total $630 million. medical-caseThe move comes nearly a week after Los Angeles, Calif.-based Health... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006214_19.html 30th July 2009 Ronald Joseph Berding, a South Florida managed-care executive who created an industry powerhouse from five moribund health plans, died June 23 at age 60 of a rare abdominal cancer. Joe, as everyone called him, came to Florida from his native Kentuc... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006196_19.html 30th July 2009 The insurance industry is up in arms over congressional proposals to create a publicly financed competitor in an effort to bring down health-care costs. That may be because it doesn't have to face much in the way of competition now: Most regions of the U.... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1006173_19.html 30th July 2009 How to find the insurance policy that's right for you. Whether they like it or not, a growing number of Americans will be taking into their own hands the task of insuring their health. That's the gist of a survey showing that nearly one in five employe... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1004285_19.html 30th July 2009 Individual health insurance Individual health insurance in the United States offers many options to choose from. Shoppers can choose from a variety of plan designs, deductibles, and prices. The health insurance company must accept you and your medical ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1004254_19.html 30th July 2009 This Week in Health Reform Under pressure from both Democrats and Republicans, President Obama seems to be softening his stance on the August recess deadline by stating, "Let's fight our way through the politics of the moment. Let's pass reform by the ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1000233_19.html 27th July 2009 Last week will go down as a truly significant week in health care reform. The House leadership unveiled its 1,000+ page bill and announced that the three committees of jurisdiction would immediately begin mark-up sessions designed to get a composite bill ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_998371_19.html 24th July 2009 Simply evaluating individual health insurance coverage. Keep it simple Simple is easy to put it if you know what to look for in your individual health insurance plan. To be a good plan the usual person likes to have copays for health care services ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_996655_19.html 24th July 2009 Health insurance Evaluate annually If you get health insurance through an employer, review your options each year during the open-enrollment season. Last year’s plan may not suit you this year. Did you get married? Divorced? Perhaps it’s cheaper to... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994234_19.html 23rd July 2009 Gov. Charlie Crist took a stab last week at saying where he stood as a U.S. Senate candidate on one of Washington's most contentious issues: whether to involve the federal government further in providing health care. Florida has nearly 4 million unins... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994225_19.html 23rd July 2009 The Pennsylvania Insurance Department will conduct examinations of the state's four Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance companies, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Capital BlueCross, Highmark, Inc. and Independence Blue Cross, to determine if any... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994214_19.html 23rd July 2009 Health savings accounts (HSAs) are wildly popular. Since their introduction in 2004, approximately 2.5 million Americans have enrolled in these so-called consumer-driven health plans. But, alas, HSA plans are not for everyone. Here are some pointers to h... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994206_19.html 23rd July 2009 The proposed health care plan will destroy the job market leading to higher unemployment and higher prices for goods and services. Without question, this is not the direction we need to go to the correct current health care system. This plan fails to addr... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994177_19.html 23rd July 2009 The Pennsylvania Insurance Department said Friday it will conduct examinations of the state's four Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance companies — including Independence Blue Cross of Philadelphia — to determine if any of them were engaged in anticom... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994145_19.html 23rd July 2009 It seems that more and more people in Florida are losing their health insurance. This is happening either because they lose their jobs or because they choose not to have it as health insurance is not affordable and monthly premiums are increasing. Acco... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994126_19.html 23rd July 2009 Young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 represent one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the U.S. population without health care coverage. In an effort to ensure that all Americans are insured a growing number of states have enacted legisl... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994108_19.html 23rd July 2009 Julie Houston recently canceled an appointment to get her teeth cleaned. She skipped the eye doctor and her annual physical, too. The 56-year-old Delaware resident has been without health insurance for about a year. She can't afford it. "I live i... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994099_19.html 23rd July 2009 An average of 3,560 Florida residents lose their health insurance coverage every week, according to a study released Wednesday. And that figure is conservative because the latest unemployment numbers are not included. Escalating premium costs is the pr... http://www.articlealley.com/article_994082_19.html 23rd July 2009 This Week in Health Reform Public Plan HELP Committee Passes Reform Bill: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee became the first Congressional panel to advance health care reform legislation to the Senate floor for large... http://www.articlealley.com/article_987922_19.html 18th July 2009 On the health care reform front, the Senate HELP Committee continues to slug it out amendment by amendment, with Democrats winning all of the important ones on straight party-line votes. The HELP Committee started the week by unveiling its new language on... http://www.articlealley.com/article_986068_19.html 17th July 2009 Employers play an important role in engaging employees in healthy lifestyles, and research shows that employers who invest in the health of their workforce see a return on investment. Today, building upon this approach to health care, Humana Inc. (NYSE: ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_984099_19.html 16th July 2009 President Barack Obama's welcome home from his latest successful overseas trip is clouded by the growing doubts about his most important domestic initiative, the overhaul of the dysfunctional U.S. health care system. On the surface, things went well fo... http://www.articlealley.com/article_984088_19.html 16th July 2009 The new GM emerged from bankruptcy Friday, July 10, with a leaner workforce and less debt. One reason is that, with the help of the Treasury Department, the Detroit automaker will not have to pay for the health care of thousands of retirees. But now so... http://www.articlealley.com/article_984070_19.html 16th July 2009 Individual health insurance policies are more popular now than ever before, according to local insurers and independent brokers. That's because more people are losing their jobs, many small workplaces are deciding not to offer health insurance and some... http://www.articlealley.com/article_984057_19.html 16th July 2009 Old Brooklyn resident Hannah Green has been without health insurance for five years -- but it's not for lack of trying. Green, who works as a home health aide, has called those late-night television advertisements only to learn she would have to pay a... http://www.articlealley.com/article_984051_19.html 16th July 2009 Discussions of a merger between Scranton’s Community Medical Center and Moses Taylor Hospital ended last year, but talk persists inside the local health care community of a new arrangement with another health care organization. According to a publish... http://www.articlealley.com/article_984020_19.html 16th July 2009 Words are flying between Senator Arlen Specter and Representative Joe Sestak in the battle for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s senate seat, suggesting that the contest will become one of the more vicious for next year’s midterm electi... http://www.articlealley.com/article_984014_19.html 16th July 2009 To work for Americans, our nation’s health care delivery must become more fair, efficient and transparent. Across the political spectrum, there is wide agreement about these goals. Getting there is a different story. In coming weeks, Congress w... http://www.articlealley.com/article_984002_19.html 16th July 2009 If you do not get your health insurance through your job, you may be able to buy a policy as an individual. Individual coverage is harder to obtain, more expensive, and less consumer-friendly than job-based coverage, but it is better than not having insur... http://www.articlealley.com/article_983997_19.html 16th July 2009 President Obama on June 22 signed a sweeping anti-smoking law that gives the FDA unprecedented authority to regulate what goes into tobacco products and prohibits marketing campaigns geared toward children. At the same time, many private employers, includ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_983992_19.html 16th July 2009 Family health insurance premiums in Georgia have spiked 88 percent since 2000, according a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Status Quo Report includes state-by-state data on health-care cost and quality, including the i... http://www.articlealley.com/article_983985_19.html 16th July 2009 St. Joseph’s Hospital recently notified patients that it may end its relationship with medical insurance giant United Healthcare, effective Aug. 7, unless a new contract is reached. “Our current contract with them is outdated, not in-line with ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_983975_19.html 16th July 2009 So far opposition to the Democrats' efforts at reforming health care has been almost entirely defensive, and that's probably a good thing. Similarly, when George W. Bush wanted to privatize parts of the Social Security system, the Democrats didn't spen... http://www.articlealley.com/article_983948_19.html 16th July 2009 Gov. Ted Strickland and legislative leaders reached agreement on a plan to put video lottery terminals at racetracks. The economy is still bad and the immediate budget forecast ugly. Strickland on Monday, July 13, will issue a directive authorizing ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_983929_19.html 16th July 2009