In January 2010, just a few months before healthcare reform law passed, I got a study by a national actuarial firm that measured the impact of state regulations on health insurance plan pricing. This study showed WIDE variation in the definition of an individual health insurance policy, and how plans were priced, from state to state.
Blue Cross is looking at the public healthcare policy statements presidential candidates are making and Straight Talk’s Mike Bertaut will shed some light on the realities of some of these policies from his own perspective.
Health insurance companies like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana have a long history of trying to slow down the rapidly rising cost of healthcare. Over the years, a variety of strategies have emerged. Frankly, we’ve tried lots of stuff. When a company comes to us because their employee healthcare costs are going up too quickly, we try things like cutting out high-cost medical providers, steering people to less-expensive (but equally effective) drugs, raising out-of-pocket costs to discourage non-essential healthcare, and changing the mix between the employer contribution and the employee contribution.
The Difference Among PPO, HMO and High-Value Networks
By Michael Bertaut, Healthcare Economist
Perhaps the saddest tale of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the saga of the co-ops. These plans were asked to do the absolute impossible and it’s no surprise that they haven’t accomplished it.
By Michael Bertaut, Healthcare Economist
In Part 1 of this Blog on Hepatitis C, we looked at recent advancements in treatments and their costs, as well as the studies underway to determine how widespread the disease is. We learned that millions are infected, new prescription drugs are very effective and their costs sky-high.
