Archive | May, 2012

Anthem Blue Cross Postpones California Rate Hike

Anthem Blue Cross is agreeing to postpone until May a planned 39 percent rate hike for insurance policies that would have taken effect March 1. Democrats have decried the proposed increase, saying it exemplifies issues being raised in the health care overhaul debate, The New York Times reports…

IRS Helping Thousands Pay For Health Insurance

The IRS is helping more than 40,000 residents of Michigan buy health insurance “after they lost their jobs to foreign competition or had their pension plans terminated,” The Detroit News reports…

Amid Stalled Health Reform Efforts, Advocates Emerge For The State-By-State Approach

Proponents of state-based health reform are saying that the federal stall over a health overhaul is giving states a perfect opportunity to showcase what they can do to solve the health care cost and coverage crisis, The Washington Post reports…

Bill To Expand Insurance Coverage Of Contraception For Teens Fuels Debate In West Va.

The antiabortion-rights group Family Policy Council of West Virginia issued a statement Wednesday calling on state lawmakers to support abstinence-only sex education and oppose legislation that would expand insurance coverage of contraception for teens, the Charleston Gazette reports…

As Politics Swirl, Both Sides Prepare For Health Care Summit

With the White House health summit quickly approaching, members from both sides of the aisle “are pressing story lines on how the reform debate has played out that aren’t as tidy or truthful as Democrats and Republicans would like voters to believe,” Politico reports…

CVS Caremark Study Finds Value Based Insurance Designs Can Increase Adherence In Diabetes Patients

A study by CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS), published this week in the American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits, finds that insurance benefit designs that reduce the cost of medications for plan participants result in patients being more likely to start and stay on their medication therapy…

GE Energy Financial Services Invests in Oklahoma Wind Farm, Calls for Stronger US Renewable Energy Incentives

WOODWARD, Okla., Feb 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Maintaining momentum in its renewable energy investing, GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE /quotes/comstock/13*!ge/quotes/nls/ge (GE 16.16,  0.01,  0.06%) , announced today it had made an equity investment in a wind farm CPV Renewable Energy Company is developing in Oklahoma. …

U.S. Gets Additional Complaints of Crashes of Toyotas

DETROIT — Federal safety regulators said on Monday that they had received complaints alleging that 34 deaths were caused by unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.
Since late January, when Toyota temporarily halted sales and production of eight models, saying their accelerator pedals could stick, …

Fannie MaeFannie Mae Approves PMI Mortgage Assurance As Eligible Mortgage Insurer

PMI Mortgage Insurance, a principal operating subsidiary of The PMI Group, has announced that Fannie Mae has approved PMI Mortgage Assurance Company as a direct issuer of mortgage guaranty insurance.
PMI Mortgage Assurance Company (PMAC) is an existing subsidiary of PMI Mortgage Insurance (MIC). Pursuant to Fannie Mae’s approval, PMAC …

How Much Is Enough?: America’s Biggest Health Insurers Post Huge Profits, Seek More

If health insurers are hoping to keep Washington out of their industry, they’re going about it in a strange way.
A new report by health care activists shows that the nation’s five largest health insurers covered fewer people last year and still piled up combined profits that were 56 percent …