Washington insurer facing fines after denying coverage for contraceptives for women

As the nation’s insurers begin to make the shift in covering birth control for women, some companies are falling behind. Washington’s Regence BlueShield, one of the state’s largest health insurance companies, is being fined by state insurance regulators for denying coverage to nearly 1,000 women. The company is now facing fines coming from the state’s Insurance Department. Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler was first made aware of the issue early this week when a consumer contacted his office to file a complaint. Regence BlueShield now faces a $100,000 fine for what…

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Department of Health and Human Services approves full coverage of birth control

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a statement that included new guidelines regarding the required full coverage of a number of women’s preventative services – such as voluntary sterilization and birth control – by health insurance companies from August 1, 2012 onward. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from the HHS explained that the department’s decision was made as a part of the strategy from the Affordable Care Act to halt problems before they occur. In a press release, she said that the new coverage guidelines “are based…

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