Industry Updates
This broad category includes articles concerning health insurance costs, carrier and health plan news, changing benefits technology, and surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation and others on employee benefits.
Judy Naillon called her insurer several months ago to find out why she was being charged $35 every month for birth control pills. Her friends said they were getting their pills for free under the federal health law. Why wasn’t she getting the same deal? The insurance rep explained that was because the plan Naillon and her ...
A Supreme Court decision in favor of the petitioner in King v. Burwell could trigger the end of the employer mandate, legal experts say, but it’s far from certain how the court will decide. The highly anticipated case, heard before the Supreme Court on March 4, challenges the legality of subsidies for individuals who bought ...
It will be up to state officials and Congress to help consumers who can’t afford health insurance if the Supreme Court strikes down health law subsidies for millions of Americans, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said Wednesday. “The critical decisions will sit with the Congress and states and governors to determine if those ...
The clock is ticking for various state legislatures that are pondering a change in the way their residents enroll in public health insurance exchanges ahead of the widely anticipated June ruling in King v. Burwell on whether federal subsidies will be scrapped in 34 states that rely on Healthcare.gov for signups. One such example is a joint ...
With the addition of San Diego’s three largest health systems, more than one million patients soon will have the opportunity to participate in the region’s health information exchange, San Diego Health Connect. The community-wide HIE allows patient medical records to be shared among the region’s competing health care providers, large and small. Scripps Health, Sharp ...
California businesses have for years complained about lawsuits related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, where plaintiffs visit their stores or restaurants and then demand financial damages after finding oftentimes technical violations of the accessibility rules. At one point last year, 20-some businesses in thedowntown area of one northern California city were hit with such ...
Douglas White knew high-deductible insurance is supposed to make patients feel the pain of medical prices and turn them into smart shoppers. So he shopped. He called around for price quotes on the CT scan his doctor ordered. After all, his plan’s $2,000 deductible meant paying the full cost out of pocket. Using information from ...
On Thursday, California lawmakers advanced measures related to childhood vaccine requirements, the state’s prescription drug database and physician-assisted suicide. However, legislators also shelved several health-related measures. The decisions come ahead of a June 5 deadline for bills to be approved by at least one body of the state Legislature. Childhood Vaccine Bill A bill (SB ...
Sometimes, paying more upfront can cost less in the long run. That has been the case for a collaborative effort of the state’s largest for-profit health insurance company and a handful of doctor groups that worked to coordinate the care of 200,000 patients with multiple chronic conditions. Today, Anthem Blue Cross of California is announcing ...
A proposal to expand health care to Californians in the country illegally cleared the Senate on Tuesday, passing on a 28-11 vote and heading to the Assembly. Senate Bill 4 would allow undocumented immigrants to purchase health insurance on the state exchange, pending a federal waiver, and enroll eligible children under the age of 19 ...