Health Insurance Archives

Association Health Plan Rules Released By Trump Administration

June 19, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Under the Department’s new rule, AHPs can serve employers in a city, county, state, or a multi-state metropolitan area, or a particular industry nationwide. Sole proprietors as well as their families will be permitted to join such plans. In addition to providing more choice, the new rule makes insurance more affordable for small businesses. Just like plans for large employers, these plans will be customizable to tailor benefit design to small businesses’ needs. These plans will also be able to reduce administrative costs and strengthen negotiating power with providers from larger risk pools and greater economies of scale.

Oscar Introduces Small Group Plans To California

May 25, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

The health plan line-up includes the standard small group benefit design metal tier plans and a mix of what Oscar calls “Classic” and “Saver” benefit designs. The Classic and Saver benefit designs will have lower premiums because the members have a higher maximum out-of-pocket amount or a coinsurance percentage.

Blue Shield and Landmark Home Health Care Visits For Chronic Illness

May 23, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

For eligible members, there is no additional cost to participate in this program or for services provided by Landmark. Covered services provided by non-Landmark providers through a referral from Landmark may be subject to cost-sharing based on members’ health plan benefits and coverage.

Health Net Teams With Heal For Doctor Visits At Home Or Hotel

April 19, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Health Net is bringing primary, preventive and urgent care right to our members — literally. Starting May 1, 2018, your PPO clients — individuals and all group sizes — will have a new way to connect to care with a Heal doctor who can make house calls.

Trump CMS New Rules To Weaken Obamacare Health Plans

April 9, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019. The final rule will mitigate the harmful impacts of Obamacare and empower states to regulate their insurance market. The rule will do this by advancing the Administration’s goals to increase state flexibility, improve affordability, strengthen program integrity, empower consumers, promote stability, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Substance Abuse Treatment Driving Up Cost of Health Insurance

April 7, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

The underlying assumption is that honest and ethical people will continue to pay their premiums even after their health care challenge has passed. But these people who cancel the health plan after treatment don’t value health insurance and don’t understand the financial structure necessary to keep the rates low for everyone. Their actions of terminating health insurance after they have received their expensive health care services are driving up the rates for everyone.

Blue Cross Adds Vision And Hearing Benefits To Medicare Supplement Plan

March 26, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Anthem Blue Cross of California has introduced a Medicare Supplement plan that offers vision and hearing benefits. Medicare Part B does not cover eye glasses or hearing aids. The vision and hearing benefits are included in the California Blue Cross Innovative Plan F Medicare Supplement. Glasses And Hearing Aids One of the great frustrations for […]

Inovalon Calling On Behalf Anthem Blue Cross For Member Outreach

March 1, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Inovalon is an independent company that provides secure, clinical documentation services to help make sure members get their diagnoses confirmed, corrected and updated each year. This review helps address potential preventive care gaps, like missed or overdue health screenings.

Why Are Medi-Cal Rates Dropping While Covered California Premiums Increase?

February 28, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

The question no one can answer for me is if the expanded Medi-Cal HMO capitation rates have been decreasing because there are more healthy people in the Medi-Cal pool? Or are there other factors that are driving down the rates. There must be good money in Medi-Cal as Aetna, Blue Shield, and United Healthcare have all been approved to offer Medi-Cal HMO plans alongside other private health insurance companies such as Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, Kaiser, and Molina.

Proposed Rule Expanding Less Expensive Short Term Health Insurance Plans

February 20, 2018 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

In direct response to President Trump’s October 2017 Executive Order, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury (the Departments) issued a proposed rule today that is intended to increase competition, choice, and access to lower-cost healthcare options for Americans. The rule proposes to expand the availability of short-term, limited-duration health insurance by allowing consumers to buy plans providing coverage for any period of less than 12 months, rather than the current maximum period of less than three months.

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