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Colorado Health Insurance Insider

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Insurance Companies

Medical Home Pilot Program

March 6, 2009 By Louise Norris

[…] I’m curious to see what the outcome is for the IBM/United medical home pilot program. We work with United Healthcare here in Colorado, and are eager to see if United can come up with a program that would ultimately lead to lower healthcare costs (and thus lower health insurance premiums). If the pilot is successful, I imagine we’ll see other health insurance companies implementing similar medical home programs.

Filed Under: Health Care Goodies, Insurance Companies, United Healthcare

Government Research And Health Care

February 13, 2009 By Louise Norris

[…] There are plenty of people who advocate a free market approach to health care, and are complaining that the government shouldn’t be allowed to dictate that a particular treatment isn’t cost effective. But private health insurance does exactly the same thing. They don’t pay for unproven treatments, and it wouldn’t make sense for them to do otherwise […]

Filed Under: Health Care Goodies, Insurance Companies, Medicare

Tough Times For Health Care Reform

February 3, 2009 By Louise Norris

[…] everywhere I look these days, the outlook seems pretty bleak. I wonder how many of the optimistic ideas that were tossed about during last year’s campaign will be scrapped for the time being. Hopefully the people who don’t have health insurance (and all the people who are at risk of joining them) will not become a forgotten minority.

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

The Real Price Of Brand Name Prescription Meds

February 2, 2009 By Louise Norris

[…] If a rep presents a new med to a doctor, mentions that it’s a whiz-bang drug, and brushes the cost off by saying something like “it’s a brand name drug, but the copays on brand names are usually only about 20 bucks more than generics” the fact that the drug actually costs more per month than most car payments will probably not factor into the doctor’s prescribing decisions. […]

Filed Under: Group Health, Health Care Goodies, HSA, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies, Medicare, Providers

Health Insurance And Clinical Trials

January 21, 2009 By Louise Norris

Diane Primavera, our local Colorado state representative from Broomfield, has proposed a bill that would prevent health insurance companies from canceling policies of insureds who choose to enroll in clinical trials of experimental treatments. We appreciate Primavera’s healthcare reform efforts for Colorado. […]

Filed Under: Health Insurance Reform, Insurance Companies

Non-Profit Does Not Necessarily Mean Low Cost

January 14, 2009 By Louise Norris

I recently posted an article on the Colorado Health Insurance Insider about my views on making Medicare available as an opt-in option for Americans younger than 65. I got a comment on the article that I thought brought up some good points and wanted to expand on some of the ideas. The reader pointed out that a good number of private health insurance plans are non-profit […]

Filed Under: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, HSA, Humana, Individual/Family Health, Insurance Companies, Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain, United Healthcare

Public Health Insurance Plan Deserves A Chance

January 8, 2009 By Louise Norris

[…] I like the idea of a public health insurance system operating side by side with our private system. I think that there are people who would immediately opt for one or other system just on principal. But I think that there are lots of people who would wait and see what happens. Either way, the idea of a public/private health insurance system deserves a chance.

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

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

Brainstorm Means All Views Are Welcome

December 29, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] There are plenty of people in the health care industry who are genuinely interested in making the system more efficient and inclusive. And regardless of their views on health care reform, people who are in the health care industry should have just as much of a voice in this as anyone else.

Filed Under: Health Insurance Reform, Insurance Companies, Providers

A Cost Saving Idea For Health Insurance Companies

December 23, 2008 By Louise Norris

In the nearly seven years we’ve been selling health insurance in Colorado, we’ve seen a lot of technology advancements. These days, applications are online and there are broker websites where we log in to see the status of applications, current premiums for each client, renewal premiums, etc. But health insurance companies still send too much paper mail to agents.

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

Your Health Insurance Company Prefers Generics

December 19, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] But even if you have coverage for brand name prescriptions on your policy, asking for a generic will likely save you money. And it will save your health insurance company money. They are well aware of that fact, and apparently employ a lot more tactics than most of of realize to get doctors to prescribe generics and patients to request them. […]

Filed Under: Health Care Goodies, HSA, Insurance Companies, Providers

Hospital Bling A Bad Idea

December 8, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] while some hospitals are adding beautiful atriums, Denver Health is struggling to stay afloat. Adding non-essential services in hospitals that cater to well-to-do clients may make the hospital experience more enjoyable for those who can afford it. But the unintended consequence is that as time goes on, fewer people will be able to afford health care at all.

Filed Under: Denver, Insurance Companies, Providers

How Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance Could Work

December 4, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] I do believe that such a system could work under roughly the same framework that we have today in the private health insurance market. It remains to be seen what health insurance reform will actually come about over the next few years. I think that the combination of guaranteed issue and mandatory coverage has a lot of merit and deserves a second look.

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

Health Care Sticker Shock

December 1, 2008 By Louise Norris

Individual deductibles on employer-sponsored health insurance polices rose to $1000 this year, from $500 in 2007. If you buy your own health insurance, this probably seems like a bargain. Our Colorado clients have hundreds of options for coverage, but $500 is the lowest deductible offered by most carriers; some don’t offer deductibles below $1000 […]

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

Health Insurance Reform Alone Is Not The Solution

November 25, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, we’re part of the health insurance industry, but we also try to look at health care reform from an unbiased position. We see the shortcomings in the health insurance industry; we also see failures throughout the health care industry in controlling costs and providing affordable access to health care for everyone. […]

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

Mandatory And Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance

November 21, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] I think scrapping medical underwriting would drive health insurance premiums out of reach for the average American. That would mean even more people without health insurance. Here in Colorado, making health insurance mandatory gained a lot of ground last year with the Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care, but we haven’t seen any changes yet.

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

Big Pharma Likes The Free Market

November 18, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] What it really boils down to is that it doesn’t matter how great the drugs are if people can’t afford them. Here in Colorado we’ve seen more and more health insurance carriers increase copays for drugs, add prescription deductibles, or cover only generic drugs in an effort to keep prescription costs under control. […]

Filed Under: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Health Insurance Reform, Humana, Insurance Companies, Medicare, United Healthcare

The Future Of Our Health Care System

November 12, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] Here in Colorado, Cigna has just started offering individual health insurance policies, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has rolled out their new Smart Sense plan for individuals. I doubt that reputable carriers like Cigna and Anthem would be putting time and money into new plans if they sensed single payer health care just around the corner.

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

Improving Public Opinion Of Health Insurance Companies

November 5, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] A renewed focus on customer service, simplicity, speedy payment of claims and lowered overhead expenses would go a long way towards improving public opinion of health insurance companies. Health insurance carriers hold lives and livlihoods in their hands. This responsibility cannot be taken lightly.

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

Health Insurance Premiums For Men And Women

November 3, 2008 By Louise Norris

The issue of women paying more than men for health insurance has been in the news quite a bit in recent days. In Colorado – as in most states – women pay more than men for health insurance until age 50-55. I believe it would be more logical to average the costs of health insurance for men and women, and charge the same rates to both groups. […]

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

Who Americans Blame For Rising Health Care Costs

October 30, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] I think this survey is interesting in that it shows the perceptions people hold with regards to the health care industry. But I think it’s also indicative of the lack of transparency in health care pricing, and a lack of exposure to the actual costs of health care that occurs when most medical bills are funneled through the health insurance system.

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

Leaving a Four Year Old Kid With No Options

October 24, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] I realize that anecdotes are not statistical data. And the story of one family’s struggles with health insurance, regardless of how compelling that story may be, is indeed an anecdote. But I challenge anyone who believes that our health care and health insurance systems are not broken, to come up with a workable solution for the Wilkes family.

Filed Under: Health Insurance Reform, Insurance Companies, United Healthcare

Autism And Health Insurance

October 20, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] In Colorado, health insurance carriers are not required to pay for behavior therapy to treat autism. But what if the government stepped in with a program like Medicare for autism? The government could negotiate lower reimbursement rates, but because all children with autism would be receiving care there would be an increased volume for providers.

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

Anthem Blue Cross Introducing SmartSense In Colorado

October 19, 2008 By Louise Norris

[…] I’m a big fan of no-frills health insurance policies. I like high deductible policies with solid coverage after the deductible is met. We’re excited to see more details about SmartSense, but at first glance it’s looking like it will be a good option for clients in Colorado who are looking for a policy from a reputable insurer at an affordable price.

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

Health Care Reform Overshadowed By Economic Crisis

September 26, 2008 By Louise Norris

The Senate Finance Committee met this week to discuss ideas for lowering the number of Americans without health insurance.  Democratic Senator Ken Salazar from Colorado mentioned that regardless of what ideas congress comes up with to reform our broken health care system, the “ominous cloud” of the government bail out for the financial industry “may… Read more about Health Care Reform Overshadowed By Economic Crisis

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

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