“Can you please pass the mashed potatoes and do you have enough Medicare coverage?” This may be how the conversation goes for the 59% of people having an in person Thanksgiving this year, according to a new healthinsurance.com national survey. The survey reveals that 4 in 10 have recently discussed their parents Medicare coverage. Of those, a whopping 74% have encouraged their parents to increase their Medicare Coverage during this 2020 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period which ends December 7th. The survey reveals that 42% of those on Medicare have or will explore changing their current Medicare coverage. [Read more…]

Having demonstrated material impact in its first 3 years of operation, Equality Health, a comprehensive value-based care delivery system, announced today that it is expanding its operations into Texas, partnering with health plans and primary care providers to enable improved cost and quality performance in value-based contracts. Equality Health has contracted with healthcare organizations across the state of Texas, with its initial efforts focused in Houston, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. [Read more…]

As COVID-19 surges across the nation, a new coalition of America’s leading provider and health advocacy organizations and states are launching an unprecedented, unified effort to help people stay safe from COVID-19 and increase awareness about financial help to enroll in coverage under the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid. Increased awareness is critical to protect people during our nation’s worst health crisis. [Read more…]

Tufts Health Plan Foundation today announced 64 community organizations will share $900,000 in funding to help in on-going COVID-19 response efforts. The nonprofit organizations focus on urgent needs in communities, especially those disproportionately affected by the virus. The funding, first announced in June, is in addition to the $1 million in COVID-19-related grants awarded earlier this year. [Read more…]

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — With Open Enrollment underway, a new ValuePenguin.com analysis has found that in 2021, Americans will spend an average of $496 per month, or $5,952 per year on health insurance, if they purchase a Health Insurance Marketplace plan. There was a slight 1.59% decrease in premiums from the 2020 plan year, but analysts found significant variations across states, and health insurance plan type:

— West Virginia, New York, Wyoming, Vermont and Louisiana residents pay the highest health insurance premiums in the country — premiums here are 43.14%, 41%, 34.73%, 30.50% and 26.45% above the national average.
— New Hampshire, Maryland, New Mexico, Minnesota and Washington residents pay the lowest health insurance premiums in the country — premiums here are 32.55%, 30.19%, 29.68%, 27.26% and 20.66% below the national average.
— Indiana, New Jersey and Delaware had the largest increase in health insurance costs year over year — 10%, 9% and 8% respectively ($42, $43 and $37).
— Iowa, Maryland and Maine had the largest decrease in health insurance costs year over year — 20%, 17%, and 15% respectively ($110, $69 and $78).
— Notably, New Jersey saw rates increase 9% from 2020, after the introduction of their new state run health insurance marketplace. Pennsylvania, which also introduced a state run health insurance marketplace, saw health insurance costs decrease 8% from 2020.
— The most restrictive health insurance policies – namely HMO (health maintenance organization) and POS (point of service) saw the biggest drop in premiums, compared to other types of plans, falling close to 10.67% and 9.04% compared to 2020. By metal tier, Bronze tier health plans saw the sharpest decrease in premiums, falling 6.86% compared to the 2020 plan year.

According to ValuePenguin.com Health Insurance expert Sterling Price, “Despite decreases in average premiums nationally, most Americans will see their premiums increase slightly for the 2021 plan year, due to COVID-19.” He adds, “Insurers are anticipating a surge in medical claims from the many Americans who delayed surgeries or medical procedures in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the COVID-19 Vaccination. These factors have led to some insurers adding a slight bump to premiums for the 2021 plan year.”

ValuePenguin.com analysts looked at the thousands of Health Insurance plans available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Using the rates and premiums for each plan, averages were calculated for a variety of variables such as metal tier, family size, county and state. To view the full report, visit: https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-cost-of-health-insurance

About ValuePenguin.com: ValuePenguin.com, part of LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), is a personal finance website that conducts in-depth research and provides objective analysis to help guide consumers to the best financial decisions. ValuePenguin focuses on value, assessing whether the return of a particular decision is worth the cost or risk of that option, and how this stacks up with the other possible choices they may have. For more information, please visit www.valuepenguin.com, like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @ValuePenguin.

Additional Information: https://www.valuepenguin.com/health-insurance

SOURCE ValuePenguin.com

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) received the 2020 Health Equity Award for their ability to engage and connect with members via text message during Governor Newsom’s social isolation order this year. The award was given by mPulse Mobile, a leader in conversational AI solutions for healthcare, during their annual Activate Awards.

mPulse Mobile awarded IEHP the 2020 Health Equity Award for their ability to engage and connect with members via text message during Governor Newsom’s social isolation order this year. [Read more…]

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Healthfirst, New York’s largest not-for-profit health insurer* serving nearly 1.6 million members, is offering new ways for people to connect with Healthfirst during the 2020 Annual and Open Enrollment Periods, with options—including online, via video, by SMS text, or by phone—that are convenient and can be accessed from the safety and comfort of home. [Read more…]

SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Delta Dental of California, which offers comprehensive oral health care coverage to more than 36 million members, today announced details of a $200 million loan program through a partnership with Lendeavor that will provide economic assistance and post-COVID-19 pandemic relief for its independent provider network across 15 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Lendeavor, a leading digital lender that provides financial solutions to healthcare practices, will manage the program. [Read more…]

PUNE, India, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The funds allocated towards healthcare by the 2020 Union Budget were 5.7% lower than the amount apportioned last year. This combined with the fact that healthcare inflation in India is believed to be increasing at double the rate of retail inflation and that about 56% of Indians don’t have any health insurance reveals the stark nature of healthcare finance in the country. To address this deficiency and make medical care more accessible and hassle-free, Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending and investing arm of Bajaj Finserv, offers a Digital Health EMI Network Card. [Read more…]

GERMANTOWN, Md., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The HealthWell Foundation®, an independent non-profit that provides a financial lifeline for inadequately insured Americans, has opened a new fund to assist individuals who have been laid off or furloughed as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis. Through this unique fund, HealthWell will provide up to $6,000 in financial assistance for 3 months following grant approval to eligible households which had annual incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level prior to being laid off or furloughed. [Read more…]

AUSTIN, Texas, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Zenoss Inc., the leader in intelligent application and service monitoring, today announced that Health Partners Plans (HPP), a large not-for-profit managed health care organization serving more than 259,000 members, trusts Zenoss to monitor its large and complex IT infrastructure, helping predict and prevent issues before they impact operations. [Read more…]

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — County Executives of America (CEA) announced plans to begin distributing free prescription assistance cards across the country today. The free program is provided through a partnership with United Networks of America (UNA). Similar programs launched by UNA have resulted in over $10 Billion in healthcare savings. [Read more…]

SHENZHEN, China, April 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent’s insurance platform WeSure, launched a new initiative on April 16, following the establishment of the “WeSure Charity Fund”. By embodying the concept of public welfare in the design and implementation of insurance products, the Fund aims to increase philanthropy. Working with Two Sigma, China Guanghua Science And Technology Foundation, the Fund’s latest initiative will provide insurance protection to 2600 cured COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, who are classified as high risk under vast majority of commercial medical insurance policies and cannot be insured within two years following infection. [Read more…]

COLUMBUS, Ga., April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Aflac, a leader in supplemental insurance sales at U.S. worksites, today announced its new, people-centric “Not Alone” marketing campaign. Developed in partnership with Dagger, Aflac’s new advertising agency of record, the campaign reflects the insurer’s commitment to being there for consumers when help is needed most. The new campaign focuses on the wide range of emotions Americans experience when they are hit with unexpected health care costs, emphasizing that Aflac helps pay out-of-pocket expenses health insurance does not cover and giving consumers more control over what otherwise might be uncontrollable situations. [Read more…]

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — AdhereHealth announced today it is expanding the company’s industry-leading technology platform into the commercial health insurance market to address the nation’s growing medication adherence challenge. [Read more…]

SEATTLE, April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, released a report today projecting the COVID-19 pandemic will reduce U.S. nationwide healthcare expenditures by at least $75 billion and by as much as $575 billion in 2020. The report, “Estimating the financial impact of COVID-19 on 2020 healthcare costs,” models 18 different scenarios with varying infection rates and durations of care deferral. Key findings of the report include: [Read more…]

To support members and the health of local communities during the COVID-19 outbreak, Fidelis Care has expanded access to telehealth services, covering virtual visits with providers from the safety, comfort, and convenience of a member’s home for a $0 copay. [Read more…]

CONCORD, Calif., April 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Nonstop Administration and Insurance Services, Inc. (Nonstop) has announced that they will now sell their flagship product through a channel program to health benefits brokers nationally. Nonstop Wellness is a proprietary employer-sponsored health insurance product that combines an ACA-approved high deductible health plan (HDHP) with a Medical Expense Reimbursement Program (MERP), which eliminates or reduces employee out-of-pocket costs, and potentially reduces health insurance premiums 8-10% on renewal. The results are better employee health benefits for less than a traditional health insurance plan. [Read more…]

According to a new survey of health insurance companies released today by eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) (eHealth.com), nearly all are making changes to help consumers impacted by the COVID-19 coronavirus. A strong majority (97%) say they are waiving out-of-pocket costs associated with testing. Sixty percent of insurer respondents say they are currently offering some form of premium deferral program for those impacted by the coronavirus. [Read more…]

NEW YORK, April 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Centivo today launched its new self-funded health plan solution, which is built to save 15 percent or more compared to traditional health plans and is easy to use for the employer and the employee. The solution provides plan options for employees, including low-cost, primary care-based models to help them navigate the health care system and guide patients to the right specialists and facilities. Centivo does this by using advanced analytics to build cost-effective networks directly with high-quality health systems and independent practice partners. The solution will initially be available in three markets — Metro New York, Orlando, and Jacksonville — with additional markets to be added over the course of the year. Centivo also partners with employers and their advisors to implement custom local network solutions in other markets. [Read more…]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation (GuideWell), the parent to a family of forward-thinking companies focused on transforming health care, announced its COVID-19 Health Innovation Collaborative, an initiative that seeks to connect diverse innovative health-technology companies across the U.S. to bring forth solutions that address gaps in response to global health pandemics. [Read more…]

DUBLIN, Calif., March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ —

WHAT
Webinar: Bridging the Health Coverage Gap

With COVID-19 delivering the U.S. economy a hard hit, along with employees at risk of losing their health coverage, small and medium size businesses need to understand the range of health coverage offerings available to them. TriNet is responding to the growing coverage gap by facilitating access to alternative health plan options in addition to COBRA.

Topics to be discussed include:

Who might be at risk of losing health coverage as a result of the current crisis?
Health plan options for employees who lose coverage
Determining which option might be right for SMB owners and their employees
TriNet resources that can help SMBs navigate their options

WHO
Ed Griese, Senior Vice President of Insurance Services, TriNet
Jeff Smedsrud, Co-Founder Healthcare.com, Founder and CEO Pivot Health

WHEN
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 | 10 – 11 a.m. PT/ 1 – 2 p.m. ET

WHERE
Register here to join TriNet’s continuing conversation about the impact of COVID-19 on SMBs. If unable to attend, register here and TriNet will email a link to the recording

About TriNet
TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides small and medium size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll and real-time technology. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most-growing their business. TriNet, incredible starts here. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Twitter.

TriNet and the TriNet logo are registered trademarks of TriNet. All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE TriNet

NEW YORK, March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — From 2017 to 2018, telehealth use grew 12 percent and use of retail clinics grew 10 percent, but use of urgent care centers, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and emergency rooms (ERs) all declined, according to newly released findings from FAIR Health. Urgent care center use fell 11 percent, ASC use fell 12 percent and ER use fell 15 percent. These are among the findings in a new FAIR Health white paper containing the third annual edition of FH® Healthcare Indicators and FH® Medical Price Index. [Read more…]

WELLESLEY, Mass., March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Harvard Pilgrim Health Care today announced it is waiving member cost-sharing related to treatment for COVID-19. The waiver applies to medical costs associated with COVID-19 treatment at in-network facilities and out-of-network emergencies. [Read more…]

ST. LOUIS, April 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Centene (NYSE: CNC) today announced a series of additional measures to support the most vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on actions already taken in partnership with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, the Company announced it will cover the cost of COVID-19-related treatments for Medicare, Medicaid and Marketplace members. In order to expedite care and eliminate the administrative burden to providers, the Company is also eliminating the need for providers to collect co-pays and removing authorization requirements for COVID-19 related treatment. [Read more…]

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla., April 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Care Bridge International, a data analytics corporation, today announced a new COVID-19 Calculator that estimates the true exposure of medical treatment and costs related to COVID-19 claims. As a public service during this difficult time, Care Bridge International is offering a FREE interactive tool at https://www.AnalyticPoweredCOVID19.com for businesses who need to understand the average medical costs associated with a COVID-19 diagnosis for a Workers Compensation claim, Group health or General Liability claims or the costs for Medicare beneficiaries. [Read more…]

CLEARWATER, Fla., April 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — AmeriLife Group, LLC (AmeriLife), the national leader in marketing and distributing life, health and retirement solutions, has acquired a majority interest in Jack Schroeder and Associates, LLC (JSA), an insurance marketing organization based in Green Bay, Wisc. [Read more…]

PHILADELPHIA, March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — HealthVerity, the trusted technology partner to the life sciences and insurance industries, announced today the expansion of its healthcare data ecosystem to include the most comprehensive set of closed pharmacy and medical payer data available in the market. The addition of multiple payer-oriented data sources to HealthVerity Marketplace, the self-service cloud platform for the discovery and linkage of healthcare and consumer data, solidifies HealthVerity as the largest healthcare data ecosystem in the US. [Read more…]

NEW YORK, March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Corporate Insight, the leading provider of competitive intelligence and user experience research, today announced the release of its new Medicare Monitor. This service benchmarks all aspects of the digital user experience for Medicare plan prospects and members, from account opening and onboarding to the secure customer web and mobile platforms offered by the nation’s leading healthcare insurers. [Read more…]

SAN DIEGO, March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — MedCrypt Inc., the proactive healthcare security provider, today announced Seth Carmody as the new vice president of regulatory strategy. Prior to MedCrypt, Carmody worked as the cybersecurity program manager in the Office of the Center Director, Emergency Preparedness/Operations & Medical Countermeasures, within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). Carmody brings over eight years of experience in guiding medical device cybersecurity regulatory strategy as well as managing regulatory response to cybersecurity matters. [Read more…]