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.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Oregon House Approves Bill Mandating Insurance Coverage Of HPV Vaccine
April 22, 2009Angelis Launches First UK Insurance Cover For Treatment Carried Out Abroad
January 9, 2009Growing 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.
Read the rest of this entry »
William Russell Introduces Moratorium Underwriting On All Its Individual Expatriate Health Insurance Plans
January 2, 2009International 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.”
Read the rest of this entry »
For More Quality Time With Patients, Some Physicians Fire Insurance Companies
December 31, 2008A 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.
Read the rest of this entry »
AMA Launches Campaign To Cut Waste From Chaotic Insurance Claims Process, Unveils New Health Insurer Report Card
December 28, 2008To 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.
Read the rest of this entry »
William Russell Introduces Moratorium Underwriting On All Its Individual Expatriate Health Insurance Plans
December 26, 2008International 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.”
Read the rest of this entry »