Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Health Insurance / Medical Insurance News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/health_insurance/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114269.php Consumer-driven health plans (CDHP) -- hailed since their inception in 2000 as a tool to help control costs -- are resulting in members forgoing care and discontinuing drugs to treat chronic medical problems, according to two newly published studies. Under employer-offered CDHPs, members pay up-front deductibles either out-of-pocket or from a dedicated health-care account before insurance coverage begins. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114191.php The number of employers that would drop health insurance for employees under the health care proposal of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) remains a "great unknown," the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114197.php New Jersey "faces a nasty culmination of health care crises" amid a falling economy, which likely will lead to an increase in the number of uninsured residents and place a greater burden on hospitals in the state, the Washington Post reports. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114195.php The recent economic downturn has left many health care providers "fighting to stay out of the red," but they have not passed their higher costs to consumers, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Ken Thorpe, a professor of health policy at Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113937.php "Health care will become one of the most onerous personal finance issues in coming years unless the system is changed to ensure universal access, cost control and long-term financing," Bloomberg columnist John Wasik writes in the Bloomberg/Boston Globe. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113929.php UnitedHealth Group on Wednesday lowered its earnings guidance because of reduced commercial businesses and higher-than-expected Medicare-related costs and said it would restructure the company with a greater focus on regional coverage, the Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113935.php Nearly the entire staff of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council has been let go due to a political disagreement between Gov. Ed Rendell (D) and state Senate Republicans over whether a bill to reauthorize the council should also include an extension of a malpractice insurance subsidy for physicians, the Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113934.php Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) on Tuesday signed into law a bill that increases the state cigarette tax by $1 per pack, the AP/Boston Globe reports. The increase, which brings the tax to $2.51, took effect immediately. On Monday, the bill was approved by the state House and Senate by votes of 93-52 and 26-9, respectively. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113932.php Although city officials estimated in July 2007 that Healthy San Francisco would offer access to health care to all city residents by January, the program one year later remains open only to individuals with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level, the Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113963.php Florida health insurance web, a free health insurance consulting service reports that "Republican candidate John McCain plans to make buying health insurance similar to buying a computers or cars," saying competition will lower prices of health care. "The health care proposal of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee would not lead to significant changes in the employer-sponsored system; it will make things worse," said Morgan Moran, a Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113780.php The office of Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has begun to hold a series of meetings with a number of health care experts to "begin laying the groundwork for a new attempt to provide universal health care," the Boston Globe reports. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113787.php Connecticut officials on Monday launched a new health insurance program, called the Charter Oak Health Plan, that is expected to expand coverage to 19,200 uninsured adults in its first year, the Hartford Courant reports. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113641.php While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113392.php Old Order Amish and Mennonites in Lancaster County, Pa., "suffer from endemic proportions of certain deadly genetic diseases" because they do not marry outside their communities, and, as they "seek lifesaving treatments, the uninsured in these Pennsylvania communities are struggling with escalating costs of care" at not-for-profit hospitals, the Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113391.php One year after the deadline for Massachusetts residents to obtain health coverage under the state's health insurance law, the percentage of uninsured has declined but the law "still faces a huge challenge: costs," USA Today reports. The law requires most state residents to obtain health coverage or face a tax penalty. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113234.php Inadequate funding to the annual budget for the Indian Health Service's Contract Health Service program is restricting access to essential health care services for American Indian patients, lawmakers and witnesses said on Thursday at a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing, CQ HealthBeat reports. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113241.php "Moving Away From Employer-Based Coverage: Don't Forget Public Opinion," Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113240.php While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113302.php NextCare , one of the nation's largest urgent care providers, has announced the implementation of a new affordable medical insurance plan, CareForToday. The new medical insurance program will be available in Arizona only, but application in other states may follow. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113274.php International Medical Group®, Inc. (IMG®) is pleased to announce the launch of Ping An GlobalSelect® International Healthcare, an international healthcare plan that is modeled after IMG's successful GlobalSelect® plan and tailored for the domestic Chinese market. The product is available for distribution through insurance brokers in China and is fully approved by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113239.php Health care groups that supported Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $15 billion health coverage expansion plan last year are criticizing the governor's proposed fiscal year 2009 budget, saying that it could increase the number of uninsured state residents, the Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113236.php A group of first-term Republican senators has conducted an "eight-week push to spotlight GOP proposals on health care in this election year," but the "effort has been largely drowned out by Republicans" who have focused on other issues, CongressDaily reports.Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz. Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113079.php The pressures from an ageing population on the rising costs of healthcare in Australia will be the subject of the third annual Menzies Oration held at The Australian National University. Mr Gary Banks AO, Chairman of the Productivity Commission, discussed the escalating budgetary pressures governments face from the increase in healthcare demand and costs. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113040.php The New Jersey Legislature on Monday approved legislation that would expand health care coverage for parents and mandate that all children have coverage, the Asbury Park Press reports. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and by a 59-18 vote, with two abstentions, in the Assembly. Gov. Jon Corzine (D) is expected to sign the bill into law. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113039.php Summaries of several recent developments in the presidential election related to health care appear below.McCain proposal: The health care proposal of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.