Live Insurance News

The majority of insurance companies aren’t transparency law compliant

January 2, 2015December 31, 2014 Julie Campbell

Texas has become unable to determine whether or not the plans are meeting the needs of consumers. Texas recently implemented a new regulation for health insurance companies that required them to have to submit reports to the state Department of Insurance in order to help to protect consumers against unfairly high medical bills, but many insurers have been ignoring this requirement, so far. At the same time, officials in the state haven’t done very much to help to improve compliance. Under the new regulations, insurance companies are supposed to be…

Health insurance companies may not be complying with Texas regulations

December 17, 2014December 16, 2014 S.Vagus

Some insurers may be ignoring state regulations regarding transparency Many health insurance companies in Texas may not be complying with the state’s new regulations regarding transparency. The regulations require insurers to submit regular reports to the Texas Department of Insurance, detailing information concerning their health care networks. When insurers do not file reports, or if these reports are inadequate, state regulators are meant to take action, but public records have shown that this rarely happens. As such, many insurers may be circumventing regulations and avoiding regulators entirely. Small number of…

New health insurance campaign launched in Texas

November 13, 2014November 12, 2014 Logan B.

Campaign to promote insurance coverage has gone into effect The Texas Hospital Association has partnered with several civic and business organizations to launch a new campaign that seeks to provide 6 million people with health insurance coverage in Texas. These people do not have insurance coverage currently. The majority of these uninsured individuals cannot afford insurance policies, even those available through the state’s insurance exchange, and they do not qualify for coverage through the state’s Medicaid program. If successful, the campaign could provide some financial relief to the state’s health…

Texas insurance alternative offered by health sharing ministries

October 30, 2014October 28, 2014 H. Cutner

Open enrollment for next year’s coverage is less than a month away and now new options are arising. The Texas insurance market is now seeing a new and more active participant, now that the 2015 open enrollment is rapidly approaching, as the so-called health sharing ministries are seeking to bring in new members who would like to have coverage but either want an alternative to the traditional plan or cannot afford one. This is a critical time in which to market health insurance, as consumers prepare to make their 2015…

Health insurance market in Texas may not be competitive

October 14, 2014October 11, 2014 Marc

Study highlights lack of competition within the Texas insurance market The American Medical Association has released a new study that suggests the insurance market in Texas is becoming less competitive. According to the study, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is the dominant insurance provider in all but one of the state’s metropolitan areas. UnitedHealth Group is also a major player in the health insurance market. Together, these two companies account for 63% of the state’s commercial health insurance market, up from 57% in 2010. Blue Cross dominates many of…

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…

Doctors in Texas find an alternative to health insurance

April 15, 2014April 14, 2014 Marc

Direct primary care model may be ideal for some doctors Doctors in Texas may be pushing for an alternative to health insurance that they call “direct primary care.” Both the state and federal government have been working to address the financial issues of insurance coverage for Texas residents. Insurance costs are high throughout the state, which insurers suggest is due to the rising cost of medical care and various other factors. Doctors, however, believe that the cost of insurance coverage may be prohibiting people from receiving the care that they…