Oregon House Approves Bill Mandating Insurance Coverage Of HPV Vaccine

The Oregon House on Wednesday voted 48-12 to pass a bill (H.B. 2794) that would require state-regulated insurance plans to cover the cost of the human papillomavirus vaccine for girls and women, the Oregonian reports. The vaccine, which FDA approved in 2006 for girls and young women ages nine to 26, protects against certain strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer. The bill does not require that people receive the vaccine, and its coverage requirements do not apply to “large companies that are self-insured.”

Papers Examine Effects Of Expanded Eligibility In Public Health Insurance Program For Older Children, Medicare Spending; More

“Has Public Health Insurance for Older Children Reduced Disparities in Access to Care and Health Outcomes?” Journal of Health Economics: The paper examines the effects of expanding public health insurance programs for older children. The paper analyzes data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1986 to 2005 and finds that income became a less important predictor of the health statuses of children ages nine to 17 in recent years. In addition, the report finds that while eligibility for public health insurance programs improves current utilization of preventive care, it has little effect on a person’s current health status. In addition, the paper finds some evidence that Medicaid eligibility in early childhood has positive effects on future health, which suggests that early and adequate care puts children on a course for better health as they grow (Currie et al., Journal of Health Economics, December 2008).

BlueCross BlueShield Association President Serota Discusses Proposal To Expand Health Insurance, Reduce Costs

The New York Times on Saturday published an interview with Scott Serota, president and CEO of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, in which he discussed a health care proposal recently adopted by the BCBSA board. The four-point proposal would seek to expand health insurance to more U.S. residents, reduce costs and improve quality of care. According to Serota, the impetus for the BCBSA board was that “what is discussed in virtually all forums as health care reform is really health care financing reform.” He said that “the real underlying issue, which is that the entire health care delivery system needs to be modified,” has not received adequate national attention.

Angelis Launches First UK Insurance Cover For Treatment Carried Out Abroad

Growing numbers of UK patients have been travelling abroad for medical treatment despite a lack of adequate insurance protection, says Angelis Insurance (Angelis), the first company to provide a dedicated and specific insurance cover for dental, cosmetic and medical treatment carried out abroad.

Figures from Treatment Abroad’s Medical Tourism Survey 2007 show over 50,000 UK patients travelled abroad for medical treatment in 2006, and this is set to reach 200,000 by the end of the decade, creating a £886 million market. Even without specific insurance cover, patients continue to visit countries such as India, Thailand and Singapore for treatment. According to Health Tourism India, an enterprise which offers healthcare tourism, 1.5 million patients visited the country for medical treatment in 2007, and this figure is expected to increase by 30% annually.

William Russell Introduces Moratorium Underwriting On All Its Individual Expatriate Health Insurance Plans

International expatriate insurance specialist William Russell has swept away the need for expatriates to declare their previous medical history with the introduction of moratorium underwriting on all of its health insurance plans. Many pre-existing medical conditions will become eligible for cover after two years of continuous cover.

James Cooper, sales director, William Russell says:

“Expatriates have told us that the biggest hassle of taking out private medical insurance is the need to remember and record every single health condition and medical consultation on the application form. We’ve dealt with this problem by completely removing the need for expats to declare their previous medical history, making the application process simple, straightforward and above all fast.”

For More Quality Time With Patients, Some Physicians Fire Insurance Companies

A type of old-fashioned medical practice is making a comeback in some corners: While most physicians contract with one or more insurance companies, some are no longer accepting health insurance at all. They want to increase their quality time with each patient, reduce hassles, and return to their passion – healing people.

In medicine’s past, the physician – little black bag in hand – had more time with each patient to listen to his or her concerns and develop a treatment plan for care together. With no insurance copays or deductibles, the patient paid for his or her care, sometimes even in chickens or other livestock.

Papers Examine Effects Of Expanded Eligibility In Public Health Insurance Program For Older Children, Medicare Spending; More

“Has Public Health Insurance for Older Children Reduced Disparities in Access to Care and Health Outcomes?” Journal of Health Economics: The paper examines the effects of expanding public health insurance programs for older children. The paper analyzes data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1986 to 2005 and finds that income became a less important predictor of the health statuses of children ages nine to 17 in recent years. In addition, the report finds that while eligibility for public health insurance programs improves current utilization of preventive care, it has little effect on a person’s current health status. In addition, the paper finds some evidence that Medicaid eligibility in early childhood has positive effects on future health, which suggests that early and adequate care puts children on a course for better health as they grow (Currie et al., Journal of Health Economics, December 2008).

AMA Launches Campaign To Cut Waste From Chaotic Insurance Claims Process, Unveils New Health Insurer Report Card

To help reduce the substantial administrative burden of ensuring accurate insurance payments for physician services, the American Medical Association (AMA) launched the Cure for Claims campaign to help heal the ailing system of processing medical claims with health insurers, and unveiled the first AMA National Health Insurer Report Card on claims processing.

“The goal of the AMA campaign is to hold health insurance companies accountable for making claims processing more cost-effective and transparent, and to educate and empower physicians so they are no longer at the mercy of a chaotic payment system that take countless hours away from patient care,” said AMA Board Member William A. Dolan, MD.

BlueCross BlueShield Association President Serota Discusses Proposal To Expand Health Insurance, Reduce Costs

The New York Times on Saturday published an interview with Scott Serota, president and CEO of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, in which he discussed a health care proposal recently adopted by the BCBSA board. The four-point proposal would seek to expand health insurance to more U.S. residents, reduce costs and improve quality of care. According to Serota, the impetus for the BCBSA board was that “what is discussed in virtually all forums as health care reform is really health care financing reform.” He said that “the real underlying issue, which is that the entire health care delivery system needs to be modified,” has not received adequate national attention.

William Russell Introduces Moratorium Underwriting On All Its Individual Expatriate Health Insurance Plans

International expatriate insurance specialist William Russell has swept away the need for expatriates to declare their previous medical history with the introduction of moratorium underwriting on all of its health insurance plans. Many pre-existing medical conditions will become eligible for cover after two years of continuous cover.

James Cooper, sales director, William Russell says:

“Expatriates have told us that the biggest hassle of taking out private medical insurance is the need to remember and record every single health condition and medical consultation on the application form. We’ve dealt with this problem by completely removing the need for expats to declare their previous medical history, making the application process simple, straightforward and above all fast.”