As the insurance news concerning the health industry begins to change, many are beginning to question how necessary insurance companies actually are. For centuries, insurers have provided access to policies that allow businesses and individuals to enjoy some degree of protection against unforeseeable events. People rely on insurance companies to handle the risks associated with daily life, but fall victim to the whims of these companies that are very much business oriented. When the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, it opened the way for a new…
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Federal government releases Medicare information to insurance, consumer and employer groups
The federal government has made an ambitious change to its Medicare health care program this week. Now, Medicare information will be at the disposal of employers, insurance companies and consumer advocacy groups. This information will allow these groups to issue reports on local health care professionals and hospitals. In this way, groups can rate health care providers based upon their performance within the Medicare system. Patient information will remain confidential. The decision was made based upon the variances in performance amongst doctors nationwide. Without an adequate method of rating these…
Read MoreWellPoint purchases stake in private health insurance exchange
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…
Read MoreInsurance brokers’ role in new health care system is still unclear
With health care reform on the horizon, the role of the insurance broker is likely to change along with the shifting environment of the health system. Federally mandated health insurance exchanges are going to play a bigger part in people’s search for coverage. The exchanges will, essentially, give consumers the ability to find their own health care policies and purchase these policies electronically. While this will be a popular trend amongst the average consumer, it may also be one that health care professional’s follow, which puts brokers and agents on…
Read MoreArkansas Insurance Commissioner to seek approval to establish insurance exchange
Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford will be petitioning the state Legislature for authority to establish a health insurance exchange. The commissioner has been lobbying for the authority for more than a year now, but lawmakers have been slow to warm to the idea of an exchange. Earlier this year, the state’s Insurance Department was awarded a $1 million grant to assist in the forming of an exchange, but it has been unable to use any of that money as there has yet to be any legislation approving and insurance exchange.…
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