Health insurance plans are increasingly favoring tiered physician networks, which some fear have the potential to limit patient access to such specialties as rheumatology to achieve short-term cost reduction…
New York Orders UnitedHealth to Pay $100,000 to Settle Antitrust Probe
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The New York Attorney General has ordered UnitedHealth Group to pay a $100,000 fine after an investigation found the insurance provider engaged in anti-competitive practices involving elder and long-term care products, according to a person familiar with the matter. The settlement, which was signed late Wednesday, centers on efforts by UnitedHealth to force nursing…
U.S. Signs Up 8.2 Million People for Insurance on HealthCare.gov
NEW YORK (Reuters)—The U.S. government signed up 8.2 million people for health insurance through the HealthCare.gov website through Dec. 19, including 2.1 million people from the insurers’ most sought-after demographic: those aged under 35, according to the top health official. That compares with the 6.4 million people who signed up or were automatically signed up…
HealthCare.gov Sign-Ups Exceed Last Year’s Pace
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Enrollment in 2016 individual insurance through the HealthCare.gov website is higher than it was a year ago at this time, with 1 million new customers signed up, U.S. government health officials said on Wednesday. The officials cited the latest enrollment data as a reason for confidence in the long-term stability of HealthCare.gov, which…
U.S. House Speaker Ryan Says Obamacare Replacement Plan Coming Next Year
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday that Republicans next year will unveil a plan to replace President Barack Obama’s national healthcare program, widely known as Obamacare, in its entirety as part of a “pro-growth” Republican alternative to Democratic policies. “Next year, we are going to unveil a plan to replace every word…
Specialized Health Care May Be Lacking under Obamacare Plans
(Reuters Health)—Some health insurance plans sold on the Affordable Care Act‘s federal marketplace may not provide reasonable access to medical specialists, new research suggests. Under the act, also known as Obamacare, the federal marketplace offers subsidized private health insurance to consumers in states that didn’t establish their own health insurance exchanges. About one in seven…
Hospital-Owned Physician Practices Linked to Higher Prices
(Reuters Health)—Outpatient care may cost more when hospitals own the medical practices or employ the physicians, a U.S. study suggests. Hospital employment of doctors and ownership of physician practices has grown over the past decade as healthcare providers seek to curb expenses with economies of scale and deliver better coordinated treatment to patients. Research reported…
Unwelcome News about Medicare’s Rising Drug Plan Costs
CHICAGO (Reuters)—Seniors have received some unpleasant news in their mailboxes in recent weeks: premiums for many Medicare prescription drug insurance plans will rise at double-digit rates next year. Premiums for the ten most popular Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) will rise an average of 8 percent next year—the fastest clip in five years,…
Complex Patients More Likely to Switch from Medicare Advantage
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Medicare Advantage plans might not be meeting the needs of patients requiring the costliest and most complex levels of care, a new study suggests. Between 2010 and 2011, such patients were more likely to switch from Medicare Advantage plans to traditional Medicare, rather than vice versa, researchers found. The results suggest people…
U.S. Antitrust Lawmakers Express Concern About Insurance Mergers
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Republican and Democratic lawmakers expressed concern about two multi-billion dollar insurance mergers on Tuesday, using a Senate hearing to take issue with the companies’ arguments that they face expanding competition from new rivals. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, said he was worried that consumers would be “locked…
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