The California Medical Association (CMA), a health insurance organizations coalition, the California Hospital Association (CHA), and other groups have announced their intentions to work together to oppose a ballot measure that is meant to create California insurance regulation for rate increase on health plans and policies. According to the CMA president-elect, Paul Phinney, this ballot initiative doesn’t do anything to help control the causes of the cost increases in the healthcare system. He added that “I just think this initiative is the wrong idea.” Ballot measure advocates have said that…
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New form of insurance battle building among sufferers of eating disorders
Sufferers of eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia are now struggling on a new battlefield within the insurance world, calling into question the extent to which laws regulate equivalent protections for mental illnesses. Court cases and claims regarding severe instances of eating disorders are attempting to require payment for residential treatment center costs, as those institutions provide patients with monitoring around the clock every day so that they will not have the opportunity to skip meals or purge what they have consumed. Recently, some insurers have re-stated the fact…
Read MoreCalifornia’s MedLion clinics take insurance into their own hands
The costs of healthcare in the U.S. have been growing at an accelerating rate. Soaring prices for both medical care and insurance coverage are weighing heavily of the nation’s middle class citizens as they struggle to somehow recover from a passing economic recession. While this is not a new trend in the U.S. – indeed, the cost of healthcare has been gaining momentum for some time now, — there is a term being attributed to it: Hyperinflation. Several major insurance companies have been reporting record profits, with many making enough…
Read MoreControversy surrounds the California health insurance industry
Blue Shield of California has had a tumultuous year when it comes to insurance rates. Earlier this year, the insurer sought steep rate hikes that drew the ire of the state’s Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones, as well as criticisms from the public. After a lengthy battle in which the company refused to compromise on their proposed rate increases, Blue Shield finally submitted, abandoning their proposal altogether. Two weeks ago, the company came under fire again after the Department of Insurance revealed documents detailing how the insurer payed it’s top 10…
Read MoreHopes that new California health insurance law will speed up pain medication process
A new bill in California is seeking to help those with chronic pain disorders obtain medications through both Medi-Cal and private insurance companies. While the majority of the state’s insurers already provide coverage for pain medications, there is room for improvement according to legislators. California lawmakers believe that the process of trial and error that companies currently employ is unreasonable. The process leaves many chronic pain sufferers to deal with the pain while the companies try to figure out what is the most cost effective painkiller. Currently, insurers require that…
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