Wisconsin to seek waiver from controversial Affordable Care Act measure

November 3, 2011 S.Vagus

Wisconsin is seeking to obtain a waiver from the federal government that would provide the state’s insurance companies with immunity against a new health care law that would require them to pay at least 80% of the money collected from premiums on medical care. The law is part of the controversial Affordable Care Act, which, as a whole, has been met with varying degrees of opposition from the nation’s insurance industry and legislators. Governor Scott Walker claims that the waiver is necessary for insurers to remain competitive, and hopes to…

WellPoint purchases stake in private health insurance exchange

September 21, 2011 S.Vagus

WellPoint Inc., along with two non-profit insurance companies, has obtained the majority stake in a private health insurance exchange based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The exchange, called Bloom Health Corp., was founded in 2009 and has helped employers in the state find insurance plans that are right for their business and employees. The exchange is one of the first in the country to see any degree of success and has become something of a standard by which other insurance exchanges can be modeled after. WellPoint, Health Care Service Corp. and Blue…