Because it’s tax day, we thought we might give you some more to read about taxes (just in-case you haven’t had enough yet). Don’t mess with taxes has a great tax carnival out called “Quit Monkeying Around“. Read up and make tax day a lot less stressful next year…..
Insurance Help Hub Takes a Risk
A new and exciting blog called the Insurance Help Hub is the host of this weeks Cavalcade of Risk. With nice descriptions of each risk-related article, you’ll find plenty of interesting topics to catch your eye. My favorite article of this weeks Cavalcade is “Does Expanding Health Insurance Affect Health?” from Cato-at-liberty.
IRS Rules On HSAs Not Finished for 2007
I have a Colorado client that has had an HSA with us for a few years. Her husband is on medicare, so she’s had a high deductible health insurance plan with a family deductible of $5,000 with just her and her daughter on the plan. This spring, her daughter graduates from college and will be… Read more about IRS Rules On HSAs Not Finished for 2007
Gov. Ritter Fixes a Big Bill Owens Mistake
In May of 2006, a bill supported by 85 out of 100 Colorado legislators came across then-Gov. Bill Owens’ desk. S.B. 198 would have put an end to the practice of large health insurance companies taking advantage of family physicians by having their expert attorneys write contracts that (among other things) are purposely obfuscated and… Read more about Gov. Ritter Fixes a Big Bill Owens Mistake
Wonky Health Affairs
Jane Hiebert-White of the Health Affairs Blog presented a great Health Wonk Review today. With sharp descriptions and relevant quotes, it’s well worth your time to browse the collection of health policy related articles she’s put together. Joe Paduda’s contribution about United Healthcare not helping consumers become better buyers in the consumer-directed health care system… Read more about Wonky Health Affairs
Grand Rounds at UroStream
UroStream blogger, Keagirl, hosts a fantastic Grand Rounds. With a good selection of posts separated into helpful categories, she makes it easy to browse for the most interesting articles. The most interesting article, in my opinion, is from the Health Business Blog. When socialism is good for capitalism talks about a recent Los Angeles Times article about how… Read more about Grand Rounds at UroStream
Improving Colorado’s Health Insurance Market
The health insurance system works best when as many people as possible (preferrably all people) are covered. In a free market system, legislating the insurers is a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, we need to keep them from trying to only insure healthy people and excluding those with health conditions. But on the… Read more about Improving Colorado’s Health Insurance Market
Bad Timing
A proposal to offer health insurance to about 180,000 Colorado children who lack coverage got bipartisan support Wednesday in a Senate committee. Senate Bill 211 would raise the income limits for kids to receive coverage under the Medicaid and Children’s Basic Health Plan programs. It also would fund a team of state workers to find… Read more about Bad Timing
Doctors Fight Back Against United Healthcare
United Healthcare has shown that it can be thuggish with its providers in the past by threatening to fine them $50 if patients decide to get testing done at facilities other than Laboratory Corp. of America or other United Healthcare selected labs. Readers have commented that the “AMA could of course advise physicians not to… Read more about Doctors Fight Back Against United Healthcare
Vaccine Required on Colorado Health Insurance?
As Colorado lawmakers consider one proposal to promote the vaccination of young girls against cervical cancer, they’re also looking at another measure that would require all health insurance companies to pay for shots for their patients. The measure from Reps. Bernie Buescher and Dianne Primavera, D-Broomfield, would also set aside $1.5 million from the state’s… Read more about Vaccine Required on Colorado Health Insurance?
Why Am I Still Faxing?
A couple weeks ago, our fax machine stopped working. Common sense just tells me that actually buying a new one would be like buying a new Sony Walkman cassette player… stupid. And we’re kinda wannabe hippies, so we’re trying to have a completely paperless office. And the whole paperless thing is going very well, except… Read more about Why Am I Still Faxing?
What We Have for Health Insurance
We only use our health insurance on the very rare occasion that I hurt myself snowboarding or riding my MUni. But we would like to have the protection there just in case something big does happen. And in the future, we would like to finance a childbirth or two, dental procedures, and maybe LASIK. And… Read more about What We Have for Health Insurance
Grand Rounds Worth a Look
Grunt Doc put up a great Grand Rounds today that is worth browsing because it’s presented in an organized easy to read format. The rest of the website is also worth a read too.
Funny Logic
In Colorado, there is underwritten health insurance and there is guaranteed issue health insurance. Underwritten health insurance has a much lower cost structure because they aren’t covering pre-existing conditions at all or without covering the cost with a premium increase, so it costs much less if you can qualify for it. Employers that are paying… Read more about Funny Logic
Colorado Group Health Insurance Law Proposed
Rep. Anne McGihon, D-Denver, is proposing that Colorado roll back a law created in 2003 that allows insurers to take the relative health of a group into account when setting health insurance rates. The Denver Business Journal briefly states that the new law “could increase the costs of buying health insurance.” Hmmmm, but they don’t… Read more about Colorado Group Health Insurance Law Proposed
The Importance of Health Insurance
Why it’s so important that you have health insurance…
United Healthcare Pushes Around Doctors
Doctors say UnitedHealth Group Inc. is threatening to fine them over something they can’t control: patients’ behavior.Beginning March 1, UnitedHealth said it could fine a doctor $50 if a patient has tests done in facilities besides Laboratory Corp. of America or other labs that the company has selected. Doctors with patients who go out of… Read more about United Healthcare Pushes Around Doctors
Council on Affordable Health Insurance Reviews Medicare
Even the obviously biased Council on Affordable Health Insurance tackled the claim that “overhead for Medicare,” says Dr. Stephen Rous of Brown University, a single-payer advocate, “is 1 percent to 2 percent. The overhead for various private insurance plans (HMOs, etc.) is 15 percent to 25 percent.” … and still came up with a much… Read more about Council on Affordable Health Insurance Reviews Medicare
Colorado House OKs Bill on CSU Health Insurance
Reposted from:http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=64356 FORT COLLINS – A House bill that would allow Colorado State University to require all of its graduate students to have health insurance passed the House on third reading Monday and now heads to the Senate for consideration. The bill, sponsored by Rep. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, passed on a 37-27 vote. The… Read more about Colorado House OKs Bill on CSU Health Insurance
Ritter Signs Colorado Prescription Drug Bill
Reposted from: http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=AP&Date=20070205&ID=6436880 Gov. Bill Ritter signed his first bill on Monday, a measure that could provide up to 264,000 people with discounts on prescription drugs. The plan, called the Colorado Cares Rx program, allows the state to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies for generic drugs. Ritter said it is a public health… Read more about Ritter Signs Colorado Prescription Drug Bill
Gunnison County Extends Health Insurance to Live-In Partners
Reposted from: http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/01/21/1_21_Same_sex_benefits.html Gunnison may be one of the only counties in this part of Colorado that’s decided to let domestic partners of county employees, including same-sex partners, share in health insurance benefits.Debbie Moore, personnel director for Gunnison County, said the measure has been considered for a couple of years after being requested by a… Read more about Gunnison County Extends Health Insurance to Live-In Partners
Colorado Approves Discount Drug Program
Reposted from: http://www.stateaction.org/blog/?p=462 The Colorado House and Senate approved SB 1, a bill which will allow people who cannot afford health insurance to buy discounted drugs through the state. The measure would authorize the state of Colorado to work in consultation with private sector pharmacies in order to negotiate the lowest possible prices for generic… Read more about Colorado Approves Discount Drug Program
CSU grad students to discuss health insurance today
Reposted from: http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070131/NEWS01/70131008 Colorado State University graduate students can learn more today about a bill that would require them to carry some form of health-care coverage. The meeting is at 4:30 p.m. in the Grey Rock Room of the Lory Student Center. Hosts are the Graduate Student Council and the Center for Public Deliberation. The… Read more about CSU grad students to discuss health insurance today
New Kaiser Permanente Contracts for Longmont and Boulder Valley
The provider network for Kaiser Permanente of Colorado, Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS), has signed a new contract with Longmont United Hospital (LUH), effective January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007. In addition, 192 physicians of the Boulder Valley Individual Practice Associates (BVIPA) have agreed to return to the PHCS network. These providers have hospital privileges… Read more about New Kaiser Permanente Contracts for Longmont and Boulder Valley
Colorado Health Insurance Companies Walking the Walk
Some popular health insurance companies in Colorado are making the news with their healthy employee incentive programs. A growing number of companies in Colorado and nationwide are offering free medical screenings, discounts or cash incentives to motivate employees to exercise more, eat better and quit smoking. They hope that a healthier work force will contain… Read more about Colorado Health Insurance Companies Walking the Walk