Live Insurance News

Health insurance company to put its individual PPO plans to rest

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015 Marc

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas will begin phasing out its PPO coverage Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas has announced that it will be phasing out its PPO coverage for individuals. The health insurance providers is doing so because it believes that offering this coverage is no longer financial sustainable. Those with PPO coverage from the insurer will have to switch to HMO plans as a result. Notably, the company’s PPO plans will continue to be offered to employers and group PPO plans will still be available. Cost of…

Health insurance for married same sex couples now offered by Blue Cross

December 17, 2014December 16, 2014 Julie Campbell

The largest insurer in Alabama is now required to comply with a federal rule to treat all married couples equally. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, the largest health insurance company in the state, is now offering spousal coverage to same sex couples that are legally married, so that the insurer will comply with a federal regulation that states that all married couples must be treated equally regardless of their sexual orientation. A spokesperson for the insurance company said that the same sex spousal coverage started being offered this year.…

Insurance company in North Dakota fined $60,000 for several violations

December 8, 2014December 6, 2014 G. Turner

Blue Cross Blue Shield must pay the penalty for claims handling issues and other payments failures. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota recently agreed to pay a number of different fines that will come to a total of about $60,000, for having made several “systemic” violations that were discovered by regulators during an examination of the insurance company. The violations have occurred in a range of different areas including the handling of claims. Among the violations that were found within the examination of the insurance company were the claims…

Insurance news not transparent enough with Missouri prices

August 20, 2014August 18, 2014 H. Cutner

The state, which participates in the federal health plan exchange will include at least three insurers. This fall, the latest insurance news is showing that when residents of Missouri head to the HealthCare.gov website, they will likely be able to compare and shop for health plans that are being offered by a minimum of three insurers. The largest insurance company in the country has now stated that it expects to take part in the federal marketplace. UnitedHealthcare has said that it intends to make insurance news, this fall, by adding…

Arizona residents are due refunds from their health insurance providers

August 14, 2014August 12, 2014 Marc

Consumers to receive $11 million in refunds in the coming months Many Arizona residents are due to receive refunds from health insurance companies in the coming months. In compliance with federal law, some of the state’s insurance companies are returning $11 million to consumers. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the average refund a family will receive is $51. Some 350,000 consumers throughout the state are expected to see refunds in the near future coming from their insurance providers. Insurers are unable to comply with federal health…

Health insurance rates set to rise in Rhode Island

July 22, 2014July 19, 2014 Marc

Higher rates approved by state’s insurance regulators Rhode Island Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Hittner has announced that rate proposals from the state’s health insurance companies have been approved for 2015. Insurers are seeking rate increases in order to balance out the losses that they incur from the cost of medical care. Many people have purchased insurance coverage over the past several months and are beginning to visit doctors and receive treatment for their conditions. In order to recover from the costs of these treatments, as well as other financial issues that…

Ongoing reimbursement battle may negatively affect health insurance policyholders

May 27, 2014May 24, 2014 S.Vagus

Blue Cross Blue Shield and Hendrick Health System continue to fight over reimbursement in Texas Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas has been locked in a fight over reimbursement rates with Hendrick Health System for several months now. Officials at Hendrick health System claim that the organization is due reimbursement from the insurance company, but Blue Cross Blue Shield argues that it is not liable for any reimbursements at this time. As the two organizations continue to fight over the issue, policyholders may actually end up being the ones that…