TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) is offering a number of new plan options to its already extensive, high-quality, low-cost Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan offerings during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) running now through Dec. 7, 2019. [Read more…]

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Results from a new survey released today by eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) (eHealth.com) show that consumers not receiving government subsidies to lower their premiums are more likely to switch health plans during the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) current open enrollment period. [Read more…]

TORONTO, April 3, 2019 /CNW/ — Chubb is now providing expanded insurance coverage through its Private Equity+SM offering to address the unique risks of Canadian private equity firms. Designed as a comprehensive solution, these extended offerings help transfer and mitigate many of the private equity firms’ most significant liabilities by combining four management liability coverages including management (Directors and Officers), outside directorship, professional services (Errors and Omissions), and Employment Practices Liability in one policy. [Read more…]

CHICAGO, April 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Eighteen months after launching its revolutionary employer analytics and reporting solution, Blue Health Intelligence® (BHI®) is providing healthcare insights for millions of individuals who receive health benefits through their employers. The solution, Whyzen Analytics, also has increased operational efficiencies and value by providing more actionable population health information to four large regional health plans. [Read more…]

BOISE, Idaho, April 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — VisitPay announced that Henry Ford Health System will implement its financial platform, which helps patients meet their medical billing obligations and provide health systems with capabilities to boost patient satisfaction and yield. [Read more…]

BOISE, Idaho, April 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — VisitPay announced that patients who use the company’s revolutionary patient financial engagement platform give their health system’s billing and payment experience an average Net Promoter Score® (NPS) of +50. [Read more…]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. and TAMPA, Fla., April 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — This April, in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, WellCare of Kentucky, a WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) company, sponsored Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky’s (PCAK) 2019 Community Awards. The event provided community organizations with resources and tools to host awareness events around the Commonwealth. After overwhelmingly positive responses to the 2018 sponsorship and an increase in applications received, WellCare doubled the sponsorship to $10,000 for 2019, helping PCAK to further community support statewide. [Read more…]

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (“WellCare”) (NYSE: WCG) today announced that it has entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement for its Revolving Credit Facility (“Credit Agreement”). The company plans on using this upsized facility to support its long-term growth plans, including, but not limited to, its pending acquisition of Meridian Health Plan of Michigan, Inc., Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. and MeridianRx, LLC (“Meridian”), as well as for general corporate purposes. [Read more…]

Symbility Solutions (TSX.V: SY) (“Symbility”), a global software company focused on modernizing the insurance industry, is pleased to announce that they have signed a multi-year agreement with Ageas Insurance Limited. Ageas is a recognized leader in the United Kingdom insurance sector for the exceptionali customer experience delivered to their policyholders. [Read more…]

Beacon Health Options (Beacon), the nation’s premier behavioral health management company, has announced that Mental Health News Education (MHNE) has presented its 2018 Leadership Award to Beacon Mid-Atlantic Market President Jim Spink. The MHNE Leadership Award recognizes Mr. Spink for his more than two decades of championing treatment services and public policy that advance the quality of life of individuals and families living with mental illness, substance use disorder and autism spectrum disorder. [Read more…]

Infinisource Benefit Services will be on display with its innovative benefits administration products at the upcoming Coastal Empire Association of Health Underwriters Symposium & Exhibitor Fair. The event will take place at The Hyatt Regency Savannah in Savannah, Georgia on April 25. The 14th annual occurrence of this event offers health insurance professionals in Georgia with the opportunity to participate in continuing education, receive updates on the industry, and meet carrier partners. [Read more…]

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is examining the growing issues related to opioid use in America through a three-part series, On Opioids. This series is aimed at exploring three viewpoints on issues surrounding opioid use and workers compensation: those of doctors, insurers, and regulators. NCCI has posted its first article of the series—On Opioids: The Doctors’ Perspectives—on ncci.com. [Read more…]

Florida Blue, a leading health insurer in Florida, has partnered with Welltok, a leading enterprise Software as a Service company for consumer health. The partnership provides Florida Blue members with access to a unique digital health and wellbeing program designed to help individuals become and stay healthy. [Read more…]

Avella will distribute naloxone, a powerful therapy used to treat opioid overdoses, as part of an innovative new program designed to improve access to the drug. The program allows individuals and family members in certain states to simply contact the pharmacy and order the drug by phone, with no physician prescription needed. In these circumstances, one of Avella’s pharmacists will actually supply the prescription if they determine that EVZIO® (naloxone HCl injection) or another naloxone therapy is appropriate. [Read more…]

One quarter (25%) of U.S. employees surveyed have worked with an executive who became severely ill and whose illness affected the company. This finding of the HealthMine 2018 Rising Risk Survey highlights the need for companies to do a better job of identifying key employees who are at-risk for a chronic illness. Once risks are identified, plan members can engage in personalized health actions to help ward off disease. In addition, companies can implement contingency and succession plans should these employees suddenly become sick. [Read more…]

The healthcare industry has been slow to adopt new technologies, including the cloud. However, industry-wide demand to use health data to improve system efficiency, deliver value-based care and enable productive collaborations is driving investment in cloud solutions. [Read more…]

Change Healthcare and Zebra Medical Vision today announced an agreement to create solutions that deliver artificial intelligence solutions to complex radiology reporting environments. Change Healthcare’s proven radiology solutions, along with Zebra Medical Vision’s algorithms, will benefit radiologists and other imaging specialists by improving the efficiency of routine tasks and the effectiveness of workflow in the radiologist reading environment. [Read more…]

Deloitte, a leader in life sciences and health care consulting services, announced today that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Life Sciences Competency status. This designation recognizes Deloitte for its ability to build successful life sciences solutions on AWS to help customers conduct drug discovery, manage clinical trials, engage in manufacturing and distribution activities, and conduct research and development of novel genetic-based treatments and companion diagnostics. [Read more…]

Majorly, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) occurs in adults, however, it sometimes occurs in children as well. However, targeted drugs called Tyrosine-Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) have been effective in providing long-term survival rates. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved dasatinib (Sprycel) for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia in children. As the chronic myeloid leukemia is more aggressive in younger patients, the approval of drugs can help in effective treatment. [Read more…]

MyDx, Inc. (OTC: MYDX), a science and technology company and creator of MyDx® (My Diagnostic), the first multi-use handheld chemical analyzer designed for Cannabis professionals and retail consumers to correlate the chemical profile of cannabis with how it makes them feel and which ailments it alleviates, today announced it filed patents on its revolutionary, second smart device — The ECOSmartPenTM — and is now accepting Pre-Orders. [Read more…]

WellCare of Nebraska, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), announced today that its medical director, Dr. Stephen Lazoritz, has received a governor appointment to the newly established Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council. [Read more…]

Research and knowledge on the effects of nut consumption on human health has increased in recent years, suggesting that nut consumption may play a key role in the prevention of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), among others. [Read more…]

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center of Omaha, one of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals for Cardiology and Heart Surgery, have signed a 10-year, strategic partnership to help drive innovation in pediatric care. Working together, Philips and Children’s will look to identify opportunities to enhance the quality and cost effectiveness of patient services, including focusing on connected solutions in diagnostic imaging, patient monitoring, respiratory solutions and clinical informatics. [Read more…]

Regentis Biomaterials announced today the start of its Phase III pivotal clinical trial of GelrinC for the treatment of focal knee cartilage defects with successful surgery on three patients in the U.S. and Denmark. These procedures are part of a Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study to compare GelrinC to microfracture, the current standard of care treatment. The clinical study will be used to support a Pre-market Approval Application (PMA) which will allow Regentis to market GelrinC in the U.S. [Read more…]

Upsher-Smith Laboratories, LLC. (Upsher-Smith) today announced the launch of KLOR-CON® Powder (Potassium Chloride) for oral solution, 20 mEq. The Company received approval of an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this product, which will be marketed and distributed by Upsher-Smith. Sandoz, Inc. will continue as the licensed marketer and distributor in the U.S. for the balance of the KLOR-CON® line of potassium products. [Read more…]

WellCare of Nebraska, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), has announced that its medical director, Dr. Stephen Lazoritz, has received a governor appointment to the newly established Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council. [Read more…]

Fullerton Healthcare Corporation Limited (“Fullerton Health” or the “Group”), a leading provider of corporate healthcare solutions across Asia Pacific, today announced a significant investment from Ping An Capital Co., Ltd. (“Ping An Capital”), the core equity investment platform of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd (“Ping An of China”). [Read more…]

Amendola Communications has added population health technology pioneer HealthBI to its customer family. Amendola will be a key player in HealthBI’s plans for rapid growth in 2018, promoting solutions that are already the most widely deployed of their kind while expanding awareness of the company as a visionary thought leader in value-based and integrated care. [Read more…]

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) and the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NYCHCC) announced today that WellCare of New York was awarded the inaugural Anthony Chiarelli Employment Engagement Award in honor of its “successful practices [that] have provided compelling results on the value of diversity in corporate America.” [Read more…]

Effective today, regulation reforms from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate a new process for surveying the policies and procedures of nursing facilities across the U.S. [Read more…]

Kaiser Permanente researchers in Washington analyzed information from medical visits, keeping private the information that could help identify any of the 22,000 patients in the study. Published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, “Frequency of Cannabis Use among Primary Care Patients in Washington State” is among the first U.S. studies to evaluate the population-based prevalence of patient-reported cannabis use among primary care patients, particularly in a state where nonmedical use is legal. [Read more…]

CareSource and Baptist Health have reached an agreement to provide quality access to health care for consumers in Kentucky and southern Indiana through the Health Insurance Marketplace. [Read more…]

The Arkansas Department of Insurance announced today that ForeverCare, Inc. is certified and licensed as a PASSE (Provider-owned Arkansas Shared Saving Entity) to provide access to healthcare for Medicaid eligible residents of Arkansas. ForeverCare, along with three other provider-led health plans, will deliver access to healthcare through the PASSE model of care, which is unique to Arkansas and provides coordination of physical health, behavioral health and home and community services to vulnerable Arkansans who qualify for these services due to specific health conditions. Care coordination is increasingly important to Medicaid programs and has shown success in improving health outcomes of individuals while reducing costs. ForeverCare is comprised of six partner organizations that represent over 300 years of experience and success in delivering high quality healthcare to deserving Arkansans. [Read more…]

Sixty-five percent (65%) of respondents would be interested if their employer offered easy and affordable access to genetic testing for health purposes, and the results were private and only shared between the employee and their doctor. Twenty-six (26%) percent want genetic testing but only if it is free, and 9% would have no interest in an employer offer of access to genetic testing. Further, 52% of respondents are willing to pay up to $250 for genetic testing. [Read more…]

Receiving a Torch Award from the Better Business Bureau is an honor to selected businesses. Recently, Combined Insurance, a leading provider of individual supplemental accident, disability, health and life insurance products, and a Chubb company, received a 2017 Honorable Mention Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. [Read more…]

Yolanda Jimenez-Colón, who leads Latino Relations for Gateway Health’s Community Engagement & Growth Department, has been selected as one of 50 of the Most Influential Latinos in the Delaware Valley. Ms. Jimenez-Colón will be recognized for her commitment and contributions to the Delaware Valley’s Latino community at a ceremony to be held from 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Friday, November 17 at the National Museum of Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall East, Philadelphia. The awards ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m. [Read more…]

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) released the following statement on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Medicare Parts C and D proposed rule: [Read more…]

Tufts Health Plan today announced it is rated 5 out of 5 – the highest rating possible – by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) on its annual rating of private health insurance plans.* It is the only health plan in the nation to receive the 5 out of 5 rating for both its HMO and PPO products.* Only three other plans in the country, from a pool of nearly 500 -earned a rating of “5.” Its Massachusetts PPO is the only PPO plan in the country to receive a 5 out of 5 rating. [Read more…]

Using real care and cost data over an extended period of time that mimics real world experiences and shows optimization across health care markets. What if workers and dependents could right-fit their own benefits using the power of such analytics? It would revolutionize shopping for health coverage – especially for large companies with up to several thousand workers. [Read more…]

Pat Geraghty, CEO of Florida Blue, the leading health insurer in Florida, today announced that the company will donate $1 million to support relief and recovery efforts across the state in the wake of Hurricane Irma. [Read more…]

Tampa-based WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), a leading provider of Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans throughout the country, today announced that, after activating its emergency business continuity plan ahead of Hurricane Irma’s arrival in Florida, its Tampa-area facilities remain operational and the company is facing minimal interruption in business in serving its 4.4 million members. [Read more…]

A Trump administration agency proposal to cut Medicare drug payments to hospitals serving poor and rural Americans is counterproductive and would actually reduce access to care, a group of over 1,300 hospitals says in comments submitted today to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). [Read more…]

Hurricane Irma is expected to cause catastrophic destruction across Puerto Rico, Florida, and possibly other states, even as the Gulf Coast is working to recover from Hurricane Harvey. Many healthcare facilities and pharmacies are already unavailable for extended periods, and others soon will be. As the waters subside, patients in affected areas may be displaced, many care locations will be temporarily closed, and prescribing patterns could be disrupted due to evacuations, power outages, and massive flooding across the region. [Read more…]

For nearly two decades, New Life Agency has been committed to providing the best value and service in the Assisted Reproduction Insurance industry. Today, New Life Agency announces a powerful three-way partnership designed to deliver substantial savings on today’s expensive fertility medications. [Read more…]

While Middle American men and women share similar feelings of financial security, women are more likely to worry about their personal finances and with good reason: they are three times more likely to say they cannot afford to save for retirement, according to a new study from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual). [Read more…]

While a narrow majority of 1,033 physicians surveyed by Merritt Hawkins strongly (42%) or somewhat (14%) support a “single payer healthcare system” in the U.S., more than 90% of 1,208 persons responding to an internet survey by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons said they were opposed. [Read more…]

Hurricane Harvey has struck a significant blow to the Houston, Texas metro area, home to the sixth largest import terminal in the world, as well as all of the shipping lanes in the Gulf Coast area. Given the strong economic linkages between the gulf coast and the country as a whole, Harvey is a disaster that will impact the U.S. economy far beyond that of the gulf coast. [Read more…]

As Hurricane Irma heads toward Florida, residents are preparing for its impact. Anxiety is running high for many in the path of this very strong storm. [Read more…]

Unaffordable medical expenses are often the first consequence when a critical illness such as cancer or heart disease strikes, so FTLife has responded by launching the MediSave Medical Account. This helps customers prepare for the possibility that serious illness could strike a breadwinner, or other family member, at any time. [Read more…]

The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, “We are urging a medical doctor, a nurse or a manager at a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, a rehab center, a dialysis center or a company providing hospice services to call us anytime at 866-714-6466 if they can prove their employer is involved in significant Medicare overbilling. One of our top targets are healthcare companies that are gouging Medicare with unnecessary medical procedures, or medical treatments that never took place. Recently a small group of whistleblowers with this exact type of information received a $3.6-million-dollar reward.”

http://CorporateWhistleblower.Com

According to the Corporate Whistleblower Center, “We are convinced there probably a more than a few people in every state that could be millionaires based on their inside information about Medicare fraud and healthcare companies ripping off the federal government. If you possess this type of information please call us at 866-714-6466. Why sit on a winning lotto ticket without ever knowing what it could be worth?”

Rise People, a new digital HR and group health insurance platform, has announced that Brigitte Parent, formerly SVP of Group Benefits at Sun Life Financial Canada, has joined its advisory board.<--more-->

Parent, named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network, brings extensive strategic group and individual insurance experience to Rise.

Having joined Sun Life in 1995, Parent has extensive experience as a senior leader for both its Canadian and global businesses. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice-President of Group Benefits. Parent was also Senior Vice-President of Individual Insurance and Wealth for Canada where she was responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of insurance and wealth management products and solutions.

In 2015, Parent was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by The Women’s Executive Network, where she received the RBC Champions Award to recognize the difference she has made in helping advance women in the Canadian workplace.

KEPRO announced today that the Division of TennCare, the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program, has awarded the contract for the management of its toll-free call center to support TennCare members to KEPRO.

KEPRO will manage the toll-free call center that allows TennCare’s members to file medical issues or appeals by phone. The call center currently receives an average of 2,500 calls per week.

The registered nurses of Berkshire Medical Center, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, have filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against BMC citing management’s months long refusal to provide information necessary to negotiate over health insurance, which is a mandatory subject of bargaining under federal labor law. [Read more…]

Today, ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company and ISMIE Indemnity announced entry into Pennsylvania. The companies will offer occurrence and claims made medical liability coverage for individual health professionals, groups and health care facilities. [Read more…]

The American Council of the Blind commends U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) on the introduction of H.R. 3457, which calls for the Controller General of the United States to investigate the government’s systemic failure to provide materials in accessible formats for recipients of Medicare and Medicaid. [Read more…]

Avella just announced that it has launched a new e-commerce platform designed to streamline ordering compounded preparations. This easy-to-use, secure and intuitive web-based portal gives ophthalmology providers the ability to save payment information and easily order or re-order with customized shipping method. It also provides access to ordering history and invoices at a glance. [Read more…]

Wellthy Therapeutics, a Digital Therapeutics company based out of Mumbai, is one of the five companies selected, and the only Healthcare company to enrol into Swiss Re InsurTech Accelerator programme this year. Wellthy’s artificial intelligence powered mobile intervention focuses on reversing and controlling diabetes through integrated care. Wellthy facilitates behavioural change and enables on demand care to improve health through a clinically proven policyholder centric tool, while reducing risk for health and life insurers. [Read more…]

Springbuk, the leading employer-facing health intelligence platform, continues to show strong growth of its business-to-business software. With the introduction of more than 300 new employer customers in the second quarter, Springbuk now has over 900 employers on the analytics platform. [Read more…]

Sempre Health, the leading solution for behavior-based healthcare pricing, officially launched health plan partnerships today to empower consumers to lower their own medication costs. Sempre works with health plans and pharma manufacturers to dynamically adjust a patient’s co-payment based on individual adherence and behavior, seamlessly at the point of fill. [Read more…]

Missouri Care, Inc., a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), announced today that it has signed an agreement with SSM Health that provides in-network coverage to Missouri Care’s MO HealthNet Managed Care (Medicaid) members. This agreement includes access to academic medical centers, community hospitals, physicians, urgent care centers, ambulatory care centers and other services and facilities owned by or affiliated with SSM Health. [Read more…]

A young Ohio father and his baby boy who battled brain cancer at the same time are among the 22 million Americans at risk of losing health insurance if a bill being considered by the United States Senate becomes law. The family is featured in a new video released today urging lawmakers to vote no. [Read more…]

A comprehensive program announced today by pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime), which serves 14 Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans nationally, identifies members who are at risk of controlled substance misuse and gets them into programs that can help reduce their risk. Prime’s “Controlled Substance Management Program” combines existing and new offerings into a multi-layered program to help address the national epidemic. [Read more…]

Last year the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued a report about Americans’ concerns and actions related to long-term care (LTC), also referred to as long-term services and supports (LTSS). [Read more…]

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced sales of $18.8 billion for the second quarter of 2017, an increase of 1.9% as compared to the second quarter of 2016. Operational sales results increased 2.9% and the negative impact of currency was 1.0%. Domestic sales increased 1.6%. International sales increased 2.3%, reflecting operational growth of 4.4% and a negative currency impact of 2.1%. Excluding the net impact of acquisitions and divestitures, on an operational basis, worldwide sales increased 0.5%, domestic sales decreased 1.0% and international sales increased 2.0%.* [Read more…]

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has issued a statement deeply critical of the draft health care legislation introduced yesterday in the Senate, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act, or BCRA. ACEP’s president, Dr. Rebecca Parker, said: [Read more…]

The American Diabetes Association has grave concerns about the impact the draft Senate health care bill will have on people with diabetes. Individuals with diabetes need access to continuous health care to effectively manage their disease and to prevent dangerous and costly complications. The proposed legislation could significantly limit access to care and yield increased costs for people with diabetes, and particularly for older Americans, who are at greater risk for diabetes. The bill also does not guarantee comprehensive coverage. [Read more…]

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wisc., June 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — The accolades continue to accrue for SKYGEN USA. The company, which is dedicated to transforming the delivery of health benefits through innovative, technology-enabled solutions that drive down the cost of care while ensuring healthier outcomes for all Americans, announced today that it has been ranked number 86 on the prestigious 2017 Healthcare Informatics (HCI) 100 list. [Read more…]

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — CAHU is dismayed that the California State Senate saw fit to pass the $400 billion per year tax plan to pay for universal single payer legislation, SB 562 (Lara/Atkins). [Read more…]

American Well announced today that its clinical partner, Online Care Group, is open and available for telehealth visits in Texas, following the historic signing of Bill SB107 into law by Governor Abbott on May 27. This bill embraces telehealth, holding medical professionals using telehealth to the same standard of care as those in a traditional medical practice and paving the way for more expansive use of high-quality telehealth services. [Read more…]

TORONTO, May 16, 2017 /CNW/ – Alternate Health Corp. (CSE:AHG, OTC:AHGIF), a diverse healthcare company revolutionizing patient care and research through compliance and technology in the emerging medical cannabis industry, announced today the completion of its initial study to demonstrate the effectiveness of cannabinoid in treating chronic post-Zika virus symptoms. [Read more…]

Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, has released the 2017 Milliman Medical Index (MMI), which measures the cost of healthcare for a typical American family of four receiving coverage from an employer-sponsored preferred provider plan (PPO). In 2017, costs for this family will increase by 4.3%—which marks the lowest rate of increase in the history of this study—though the total dollar increase of $1,118 is consistent with the last decade of healthcare cost increases. [Read more…]

More Americans now have health insurance than ever before, but that doesn’t mean there are fewer gaps in the screening, monitoring, and management of healthcare and chronic disease. Most health plan members believe their plan’s communications are impersonal and centered around bills rather than healthcare guidance. The majority of members are either disconnected from or rarely visit their health plans on social media and member portals. Additionally, many members feel they are missing valuable support from their plans around digital health data and price transparency. The findings are based on a survey of 750 insured consumers who have sponsored health insurance. The results are now available in the 2017 HealthMine Health Intelligence Report: Communication and Digital Healthcare Tools. [Read more…]

EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Reba Mathew Pharm.D., R.Ph has joined the firm’s Employee Benefits Consulting Practice as Pharmacy Practice Director. [Read more…]

The growing global market presence of SCIO Health Analytics™ is featured in healthcare technology consulting firm Signify Research’s most recent market report, “Population Health Management IT – North America – 2017.” [Read more…]

Aflac will partner with Tough Mudder Inc., the leading active lifestyle brand and media company, as the “Official Supplemental Insurance Provider” for Tough Mudder’s 2017 events season. The partnership includes the introduction of the Aflac Small Business Challenge designed for teams participating in Tough Mudder events on behalf of small businesses. [Read more…]

xG Health Solutions, powered by Geisinger®, and Casenet, through a strategic alliance, will deliver evidence-based assessment and care plan content to the health plan market. Through this partnership, xG’s Intelligent Care Management™ evidence-based content will be available in Casenet’s TruCare GuidedCare product. The clinical content is based on nationally-recognized practice guidelines and standards of care, including assessments and care plans for 45 conditions that are most commonly addressed in care management programs. [Read more…]

DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading independent medical group and a leading global provider of kidney care services has been certified as a “Freedom-Centered Workplace” by WorldBlu. This is the tenth consecutive year the company has been recognized on the list, formerly known as “most democratic” workplaces.

Organizations become eligible for a spot on the WorldBlu List of Most Freedom-Centered Workplaces™ after teammates complete The WorldBlu Freedom at Work™ Assessment, a survey evaluating their practice of the WorldBlu 10 Principles of Organizational Democracy™. The assessment was developed based on a decade of research into what makes a successful freedom-centered company. Organizations from the for-profit and non-profit sectors that have been in operation for at least one full year and have five or more employees can apply for the certification.

WellCare of New York, Inc., a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), has signed an agreement with Catholic Health and Catholic Medical Partners, an independent practice association (IPA) that provides in-network coverage to WellCare’s Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and Child Health Plus members. [Read more…]

ProgenyHealth, the only national company focused exclusively on neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) case management, has entered into an agreement with Family Health Network to manage the unique healthcare needs of their premature and medically complex newborn population. ProgenyHealth will provide comprehensive NICU care management services to their Medicaid members for the first year of life. [Read more…]

Minnesota health insurers reported $687 million in operating losses for 2016, according to information released today by the Minnesota Council of Health Plans. Medical reserves were tapped to pay for doctor visits, nursing, hospital stays, medications and other care.

Overall, revenue from premiums increased 4 percent over the prior year to nearly $25.9 billion, while expenses increased 6 percent to $26.6 billion. State public programs accounted for more than half of the overall red ink, followed by continued losses in the individual market. Insurance employers provide remained steady. On average, health insurers paid $763 per second for care. To pay those bills, insurers withdrew nearly $560 million from state-mandated medical reserves.

Sirius International Insurance Group, Ltd. has acquired ArmadaCorp Capital, LLC., a market leading provider of supplemental healthcare insurance products and administration services in the United States. [Read more…]

The Texas Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (TAFEC) supports legislation introduced in the Texas Legislature aimed at increasing oversight of health insurance companies and protecting consumers from surprise medical costs. [Read more…]

More than half of commercially-insured patients’ out-of-pocket spending for brand medicines is based on the full list price, according to a new analysis from Amundsen Consulting, a division of QuintilesIMS. The data also show cost -sharing for nearly one in five brand prescriptions is based on the list price. [Read more…]

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) today released the following points regarding a new PhRMA report on patient out-of-pocket spending:

— According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the average amount spent out-of-pocket for drugs continues to decline, projected to be 13% of drug spending in 2016, down from 23% in 2006.

— Rising drug costs is a pricing problem, not a coverage problem. Health plans don’t have unlimited funds to pay first dollar coverage on every drug, regardless of its price.

— The simplest, most obvious way for drugmakers to reduce costs and improve access is to cut their prices.

— The report ignores the most obvious and important point: rising out-of-pocket costs are a by-product of rising drug prices and the wave of new high-priced specialty brands coming to market.

— While not all health plans apply manufacturer rebates to reduce cost-sharing on each drug, it’s usually because the savings are being used to reduce premiums.

— Higher cost-sharing on certain brand drugs is often used to promote less expensive but equally effective generics, which comprise almost 90% of prescriptions.

— The employers and unions that offer coverage know better than the drug industry what’s best for their patient populations. Whether health plans decide to reduce costs by reducing premiums for all or cost-sharing on certain drugs should be up to them – not drugmakers.

PCMA is the national association representing America’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PBMs administer prescription drug plans for more than 266 million Americans who have health insurance from a variety of sponsors including: commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, union plans, Medicare Part D plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), state government employee plans, Medicaid plans, and others.

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Care Management Association

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced that it will release its financial results for the first quarter of 2017 on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at approximately 6:00 a.m. EDT. The company will also host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. EDT that morning to discuss its financial results. [Read more…]

DW Healthcare Partners, a private equity firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry, announced today the closing of its fourth fund totaling USD $295 million in total capital commitments. This brings DW Healthcare Partners’ total capital under management to USD $800 million. [Read more…]

Symbility Solutions Inc. (“Symbility”) (TSX.V: SY), a global software company focused on modernizing the insurance industry, confirmed that it will release its fourth quarter and full year 2016 financial results before market open Tuesday, April 11, 2017. The press release, with accompanying financial information, will be posted on the Symbility’s website at www.symbilitysolutions.com and on www.sedar.com [Read more…]

ASPiRA Labs, a Vermillion company (NASDAQ: VRML), today announced it has signed an in-network, contracted agreement with TriCare South for ASPiRA’s U.S. FDA cleared, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) covered, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Level B recommended ovarian cancer risk assessment test, OVA1® (Multivariate Index Assay or MIA). TriCare South serves about 2.5 million beneficiaries in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (excluding El Paso) and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. [Read more…]

Combined Insurance, a leading provider of individual supplemental accident, disability, health, and life insurance products, and a Chubb company, demonstrates its continued commitment to giving back to U.S. servicemen and women with a $30,000 donation to Luke’s Wings—recipient of the company’s philanthropic sales program for the third consecutive year. [Read more…]

It is that time of year when offers of university places start to drop into electronic mailboxes around the world. Higher education is big business now, places at UK universities are some of the most sought after in the world. These institutions will often charge overseas student annual fees of well over £25,000, so for the parents, ensuring the success of the academic investment is as significant as it is for a company sending key employees abroad. [Read more…]

Recondo Technology, the market leader in cloud-based single-platform revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions, has released a suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) to significantly streamline payment, improve patient satisfaction, and simplify technology innovation. [Read more…]

Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) has appointed former Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster to Senior Vice President, Corporate Services effective today. Mr. Koster will report directly to Chairman, President and CEO Michael F. Neidorff, and will assist in business-related issues, outside of Government Relations, for Centene’s locally-based health plans across the country. [Read more…]

Talix, Inc., a premier provider of risk analytics solutions for value-based care, today announced that Shahyan Currimbhoy, senior vice president of product management and engineering at Talix, and Karena Weikel, ASA, FAHM, CSFS, vice president of risk and revenue management at Geisinger Health Plan (GHP), will be presenting at the 2017 RISE Nashville Summit. The summit takes place March 6-8, 2017 at the Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. [Read more…]

Don’t repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without specifying what will replace it. This is among the policy recommendations issued by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance), a nonprofit, membership association of employer led coalitions across the country serving 12,000 purchasers and 41 million Americans.

Additional recommendations include:

— Preserve employer-sponsored coverage by refraining from capping the individual tax exclusion for premiums and continue to allow businesses to fully deduct the costs.

— Avoid increasing the number of uninsured individuals, as the cost of their inevitable medical care will get shifted to those who do pay the bills.

— Continue to move away from fee-for-service (or “volume-based reimbursement”) toward alternative payment models that reward providers for good outcomes and high quality, not medical errors, unnecessary procedures and other low value care. Preserve the ability of the federal government to partner in these efforts (Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation and other value-promoting elements of the ACA, and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015).

— Expand assistance to states, regions, and local communities promoting transparency by pushing hospitals and medical groups to report on the quality of care they provide.

— Support comparative effectiveness research. Employer-purchasers need to know which new or higher cost therapies result in outcomes that are significantly better, somewhat better, about the same, or worse than current or less costly options.

— Allow employer-purchasers maximum flexibility in experimenting with benefit designs.

A Purchaser Viewpoint on Health Policy in Transit is the result of a collaboration of the National Alliance’s Government Affairs Affinity Group led by members including the Louisiana Business Group on Health, Midwest Business Group on Health, Minnesota Health Action Group, Pacific Business Group on Health, and Wyoming Business Coalition on Health.

In three new issue briefs, the American Academy of Actuaries examines a number of key public policy considerations that policymakers should weigh when evaluating specific proposals for reforming or replacing the Affordable Care Act. Developed by the Academy’s Individual and Small Group Markets Committee, the papers address high-risk pools, selling health insurance across state lines, and association health plans. [Read more…]

America’s leading nursing organizations and the over 3.5 million nurses they represent, today called on the Trump Administration and Congress to prioritize patient health and the patient-provider relationship in any health reform proposals. [Read more…]

Consumers are just beginning to discover that Anthem eliminated coverage for out-of-network doctors now that the Affordable Care Act “Open Enrollment Period” to secure health coverage for 2017 ended on January 31. [Read more…]

Aflac, the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite in the United States, is making it even easier for customers to access much-needed financial support while they are in the hospital. [Read more…]

Employer-sponsored health insurance is greatly affected by geographic region, industry, and employer size. While some cost trends have been fairly consistent since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was put in place, United Benefit Advisors (UBA) finds several surprises in their 2016 Health Plan Survey. [Read more…]

Secretary of Health Dr. Karen Murphy is urging the commonwealth’s U.S. Congressional delegation to consider the effect that repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have on all Pennsylvanians, especially children and seniors in need. [Read more…]