health plans news from FierceHealthFinance
News
FAIR database might not be as fair as it sounds
With UnitedHealthcare being forced to outsource its database physician out-of-network payment rates, doctors may have a better chance at getting paid what they bill. This is certainly a good thing... Read more...
Humana slammed after posting 65 percent increase in third quarter profits
Health plans have taken on the chin during the reform efforts, targeted as the bad guys of the healthcare system by members of Congress and even President Obama. Not only that, efforts by trade group... Read more...
Senator challenges health plan claims on medical spending
Ask your typical national health plan, and they'll tell you that they spend somewhere in the range of 87 cents per premium dollar on medical payments. Of course, they call that the "medical-loss... Read more...
Survey: One-third of doctors don't accept credit cards
A new survey suggests that one of the key components in making high-deductible plans work--the ability to collect those deductibles easily--isn't in place for many medical practices. The survey, by... Read more...
Health plans challenged by adverse selection fears
Given the economic conditions out there, health plans actually aren't doing too badly. But that hasn't been too impressive for Wall Street, which has kept a beady eye on an even more critical number... Read more...
Health plans and reform: How will they be affected?
This week, a reader wrote to me to ask what changes I thought health plans would have to undergo to make it in a post-health reform world. Below is the response I offered. I thought I'd share it with... Read more...
Health plans work to change their image
For almost as long as they've existed, health plans have had something of an adversarial role in the healthcare system. In particular, they've gone head-to-head with providers and employers, both of... Read more...
Health Net considers selloff of assets, stock
Stung by a financially-bruising 2008, Health Net is considering a sale of some of its business in Arizona and the Northeast, according to the company's CEO and president Jay Gellert. The two regions,... Read more...
UnitedHealth settles SEC charges, no fines involved
Following on the heels of an $895 million class-action suit settlement over stock-option back-dating, UnitedHealth Group has now agreed to settle charges that it violated a myriad of securities laws,... Read more...
Trend: Insurers, banks creating more HSAs as industry grows
The money coming from the "health/wealth" market is expected to increase over the coming years: Some experts predict the market could reach $40 billion in the next five years. That's not surprising,... Read more...
