Sierra Health 2Q Profit Rises 17 Percent
Health insurer Sierra Health services Inc. said Monday that its second-quarter profit rose 17 percent on the performance of its Medicare prescription drug plan and growth in total membership.
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Archive for July, 2007
House Committee Postpones Vote On SCHIP Legislation Amid Bipartisan Concerns
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) postponed until Thursday a planned vote on legislation (HR 3162) that would reduce payments to Medicare advantage plans and increase the federal cigarette tax by 45 cents per pack to fund the reauthorization and expansion of SCHIP and make revisions to Medicare, CQ Today reports. [click [...]
Sector Glance: Health Insurers
Shares of health insurers traded mixed Monday as Humana Inc. reported a surge its second-quarter profit, with membership in its Medicare advantage plans up 18 percent.
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Council to take up health insurance, Jordan Valley vision
The Springfield City Council tonight will consider whether to change the health insurance plan. The changes would reduce the amount the city subsidizes the plan by about $1 million. Medicare-eligible employees would be switched to a supplemental plan with lower premiums. Retirees not old enough to be eligible for Medicare could enroll in a plan [...]
Canadian Medical Association unveils vision for future of Medicare
CHARLOTTETOWN (CP) – The Canadian Medical Association says the private sector should be contracted to deliver publicly funded health-care services to prevent long delays for treatment.
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EPO Market Shaken By CMS’ Plans To Cut Reimbursements
Investor jitters eased somewhat as the Centers for Medicare & medicaid services‘ plans for reimbursement of erythropoietin (EPO) stimulating agents (ESAs) became clearer, and backers of Amgen Inc.
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National quality agenda, payment reform, care integration keys to improving quality, patient safety
73% support Medicare reform that would pay “medical homes�� defined as a health care setting that provides patients with timely, well-organized care, and enhanced access to providers�for care coordination.
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Humana Profit More Than Doubles as Health Cost Pressures Ease
July 30 (Bloomberg) — Humana Inc., the No. 2 provider of U.S.-funded Medicare plans, said earnings more than doubled as medical costs consumed a smaller share of revenue from premiums.
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HIV Experts Applaud Bill Protecting Access to Anti-AIDS Drugs
New legislation promises to protect low-income, uninsured people with serious medical conditions from being denied essential medications by Medicare Part D drug plans.
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Plan’s financial health still at issue
Universal health care insurance Co., whose Any, Any, Any Medicare Advantage plan is under state scrutiny for solvency issues, has been sending out periodic news releases touting its financial health. Its latest may have gone a bit too far, however. Late last week the St. Petersburg-based company said it had received “independent confirmation of financial [...]
Congress Set To Vote On Health Care
House Democrats Foresee Battle Over Efforts To Expand Medicare benefits Sweeping health care legislation that would affect benefits for millions of children and senior citizens – as well as the bank accounts of doctors and insurance companies – comes up for floor votes this week in Congress, in a debate fraught with political risk for [...]
Ask the Biz Brain
My 78-year-old mother inherited $200,000, but she does not want the money in her name because it will affect her Medicare and her Social Security. What do I invest the money in and if it is put in my name, can I put it in different CD ac counts?
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Understanding Health-Insurance Enrollment
7/30/2007 – Thinking about insurance is rarely high on an individual’s list of things to do. As individuals retire or age into Medicare, their insurance situation can change dramatically. There are a multitude of options open to those with Medicare.
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U.S. Seniors’ Current, Future Well-Being Jeopardized By Over A Half Billion Dollars In Medicare Cuts
Responding to the effort in the U.S. House of Representatives to slash seniors’ Medicare funding by more than $500 million, the American health care Association (AHCA) urged House Democrats to revise the so-called CHAMP Act – in a way to avoid dramatic and negative consequences to the current and future care needs of America’s most [...]
AHCA Urges Congress Not To Cut 700 Million Dollars In Medicare For Seniors, USA
The American health care Association (AHCA) expressed alarm about possible cuts to Medicare long term care funding that would jeopardize current and future care needs of America’s most vulnerable population of frail elderly. [click link for full article]
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