Highmark will be overhauling the health insurance plans it offers in the state Highmark Inc., one of the largest providers of health insurance coverage in Pennsylvania, has announced that it will be making changes to the policies it offers in the state. The decision follows action taken by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to reduce several of the rate increase proposals that came from the insurer this year. Highmark had sought to increase premiums for 2016 coverage, but state regulators have determined that rates did not need to be increased by…
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Pennsylvania consumers report surprise costs not covered by their health insurance
Consumers are receiving unexpected bills from medical professionals that are not covered by their insurance policies Unexpected medical bills are proving to be a surprise to many consumers in Pennsylvania. Many consumers have reported surprise charges for their medical care, though they believed that their health insurance policies would cover these costs. The issue is placing some consumers under greater financial strain, as they were unprepared to cover the costs associated with medical care. The problem may be out-of-network care providers, which consumers are unaware of at the time that…
Read MorePennsylvania issues warning to the insurance industry
State has warned insurers not to practice price optimization as it is unfairly discriminatory Pennsylvania has joined seven other states in warning the insurance industry against practicing “price optimization,” a technique that insurers often use to raise premiums for those they deem unlikely to search for better deals. The Consumer Federation of America notes that this practice is unfair and illegal, as it often makes use of socio-economic information that insurers are banned from using to price coverage in some states. The organization suggests that this pricing practice is a…
Read MoreNew health insurance model to be tested in seven states
CMS announces that a new health insurance model will be tested to reduce the cost of medical care A new health insurance model is set to be tested in the United States, according to an announcement made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS). The model was designed to improve medical care while also cutting costs and the concept behind the model was designed over the course of 10 years at the University of Michigan. Called the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model, the program is meant to…
Read MoreStates to play larger role in health insurance exchanges
Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Arkansas will have more control over their exchanges Three states have been granted conditional approval from the federal government to play a larger role in the health insurance exchanges that they established through the Affordable Care Act. Arkansas, Delaware, and Pennsylvania will expand their role in their insurance exchanges beginning in 2016. Currently, the federal government operates the exchanges in these states. Some of the exchange’s functions are managed by the states themselves, but the majority of operations are handled by the federal government through HealthCare.gov and…
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