Cigna Cost of Care Calculator
Many doctors are interested in one thing before they give medical attention: how much is the patient’s bill going to be? ... , ... Related posts: Cigna Study - Reducing Medical Cost Cigna Stops Using Flawed Insurance Database [more...]
Date: 2009-03-04 14:51:27
Blog posts
(78) |
Videos
(29)
AMA announces physician class-actions against Aetna and CIGNA
The AMA and several state medical associations, including the Medical Society of New Jersey, ... Inc. and CIGNA Corporation claiming the companies used rigged data to dramatically under-reimburse ... a decade, the two health insurers used a corrupt system to underpay physicians for out-of-network medical [more...]
Date: 2009-02-15 11:34:03
Another Insurance Giant Brought to Its Knees by NY Prosecutors
New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo has reached an agreement with another large insurer to settle ongoing allegations that insurance companies rigged the system used to calculate reimbursement rates for out-of-network medical care, cheating ... insurance industry and includes BlueCross/Blue Shield, UnitedHealth Group Inc., Aetna, Cigna [more...]
Date: 2009-02-18 19:30:20
Healthcare insurers are changing
This economic downturn is changing the way healthcare insurers think. They need to change ... . Cigna is targeting a 2.8% reduction in medical costs for employers. Creating these new services ... that for companies to be competitive in hard times, speed, agility, and flexibility are key factors. Cigna [more...]
Date: 2009-02-19 06:12:39
TDs 40-day Christmas break = 13,000 workers lose jobs
THE country's TDs returned yesterday to a changed economic landscape after their 40-day Christmas break ... in Killarney (50); the Amann factory in Tralee (120); US medical insurance company Cigna in Galway (180 [more...]
Date: 2009-01-28 14:09:00
I won the lottery!
The Express Scripts lottery! You know, the one where you have insurance, ... - denied the claim, stating that perhaps Major Medical would cover this. So I submitted it to Cigna ... and it's totally random chance that decrees whether or not that insurance actually pays [more...]
Date: 2009-01-24 13:59:19
CIGNA
http://www.lifeinsurancedigg.com/2008/10/03/cigna/. If You are reading this message on the beginning of blog entry you might be reading from site ... in the country that offers various medical plans which includes among others HMO, PPO and POS. Although they also have other insurance service like dental, life, accident and disability, CIGNA [more...]
Date: 2008-10-03 08:49:19
Dr. Stephen R. Keister : Where Our Health Care Money Goes
William McGuire, former CEO of United HealthGroup, was paid $54.1 million, not counting stock options. Photo by G. Paul Burnett / NYT.One wonders just what motivates these clowns. One could conjecture that it is an abiding, almost religious faith in the philosophy of Leo Strauss, or the economic diktat of Milton Friedman, [more...]
Date: 2009-02-20 22:14:00
Choices in coverage during open enrollment
Health insurance shoppers, be wise By Bobby Caina Calvan The Sacramento Bee November 3, 2008 For those fortunate enough to have health insurance, ... Karen Kocher, CIGNA’s chief learning officer. Employees often “default into their existing plans, opt ... , sometimes more. But only one in 10 people express confidence in their understanding of their he [more...]
Date: 2008-11-03 20:22:54
Living-room Lobbying
Here's an interesting twist on the strategies of interest groups intent on looking out for their policy concerns ... to discuss ways of fixing the health care system over the next two weeks, they may find some unexpected guests. The health insurance industry is encouraging its employees and satisfied customers [more...]
Date: 2008-12-17 11:01:30
Legislators Skeptical Of Health Insurance Proposal
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 ... ;} ANNAPOLIS - Lawmakers in the House Health and Government Operations committee appeared skeptical Wednesday ... on health care. Maryland Insurance Administration Commissioner Ralph Tyler tried to [more...]
Date: 2009-02-12 20:45:25
Nationalization Would Be Good for Our Health
Nationalization—a term alien to most Americans taught to believe in the ideology of a free market—is now at the center of a public discussion on ... U.S. health insurers—UnitedHealth, WellPoint, Aetna, Humana and Cigna—together spent more than $36 billion ... troubled banks to health and then turn them loose on the market again. Yet perhaps we shouldn’ [more...]
Date: 2009-02-25 07:20:08
More doctors are seeking fees at time of service
Reports the Washington Post: More and more physicians are asking for the patient’s share of that day’s medical fees, ... , consumer out-of-pocket spending as a percentage of all health-care spending rose to 12 percent last year ... by a growing number of insurers including some Blue Cross plans, UnitedHealthcare and Humana [more...]
Date: 2009-03-04 14:56:30
How to Buy an Individual Health Insurance Policy in Texas (& Disability too).
(note: the screenshots of the insurance quotes are under the fold; you won’t be able to see them until you click Read the Rest of this Entry) ... health insurance. I’ve done this before and so I know a few things to ask about, but I’ve been stunned about how little information exists to answer a basic question of insurance. Here are some useful [more...]
Date: 2008-12-29 10:43:22
HIStalk Interviews Susanne Madden, President and CEO, The Verden Group
Tell me a little bit about your background and about The Verden Group. Primarily I come from the provider side of things. I’ve worked for hospitals and small group practices from surgeons to pediatrics. I spent a long time there. Then I went out as a kind of independent consultant in a lot of process improvement stuff for physician [more...]
Date: 2008-11-05 23:58:10
Blarghness
My lower back is acting up again. I also had a serious headache which has finally gone away ... session, that I CAN attend. Blargh…it’s a good thing I am not in the market for term life insurance ... did. I guess I can actually go to a doctor now. We got our new insurance cards in the mail [more...]
Date: 2008-12-03 21:45:25
New research few American women heard about breast cancer screening
Nearly two dozen medical professionals in the UK took bold action this past week. They joined together to speak out and confront the National Health Services and call for patients to be given the full facts about preventive health screening. Public health recommendations and information women receive about breast cancer screening is not only [more...]
Date: 2009-02-25 04:20:00
Fascinating
Wow, good thing we don’t have socialized medicine! Some more of that lovely free market in action! ... insurance. A 2007 survey by the American Medical Assn. found that in two-thirds of metropolitan areas ... a measure of relief. But the bills went unpaid, and the century-old medical center was sold. The new [more...]
Date: 2008-10-23 19:24:33
"Bullshit Promises"
Our new hero Elizabeth Warren (we had always liked her posts at Credit Slips, and it's to see her kicking ass and taking names) pointed to a paper "Bullshit Promises," by Curtis Bridgeman and Karen Sandrik. It looks at the concept of "bullshit" as defined by philosopher Harry Frankfurt and discusses the implications for contract law [more...]
Date: 2009-01-11 09:34:57
Alternatives To Medicare Coverage
by Don Bethune There are many options available to those people who want to stop their Medicare coverage ... is more economical in the long run because you wonat have to pay for medical check-ups, tests ... who require frequent medical check-ups may find this option uneconomical. On the other hand however those [more...]
Date: 2009-03-02 12:19:41
Obama's empty promise
Obama's empty promise (Sunday 16 November 2008) JOHN LISTER Critical Health JOHN LISTER gives his monthly update oncrisis in our ... profitable customers on company health plans, many people are finding that their insurance cover is being ... are disappearing. The numbers covered through health plans funded by large employers have [more...]
Date: 2008-11-17 09:59:12
Health insurers underpay doctors and patients via corrupt system
Yet again, we find health insurers, this time giants Aetna and Cigna in the cross hairs of legal action over their use of systemic means to reduce, ... insurance reform’s time has come . . . obi jo AMA, several medical groups sue Aetna and Cigna over ... deny and withhold legitimate payments due to physicians and patients for medical services [more...]
Date: 2009-02-11 21:44:08
Another one bites the dust
Again, we see, now the sixth in a line of health insurers admitting by this action that they knowingly used faulty data to deny, ... that this type of action by the AG in New York will prompt health insurers to begin moving toward ... General Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that WellPoint Inc., the nation’s largest health insurer, will pay [more...]
Date: 2009-02-19 21:38:42
Healthways Inc.: A Risky Play
Healthways (HWAY) provides disease management services to health insurers, businesses, and the government. The company creates and implements plans of care focusing on a number of common conditions, such as diabetes or asthma. By providing doctors and patients with information, support plans (through [more...]
Date: 2008-10-30 14:33:57
You Can't Change The Practice Of Medicine With Demand-Side Reforms. Let Us Put An End To Pay For Performance (P4P) Initiatives: Part 1
Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACEI have pointed out the folly of P4P initiatives as a methodology for improving the quality of medical care. Quality medical care has not been adequately defined. One definition could be to maintain ... and a true increase in quality of care.Quality medical care should not be judged on what tests [more...]
Date: 2009-01-25 15:58:15
2008 Medical Sci-Fi Contest: Please Meet the Stories!
We are excited to announce the results of this year's medical sci-fi contest, and to present to all our readers the top three stories, as decided by our distinguished panel of reviewers. First, we would like to thank Epocrates, a company that generously donated to the winner the latest version of Epocrates Essentials Deluxe, [more...]
Date: 2008-11-28 04:51:14
Latest News in Health Insurance - Oct 31, 2008
Ronald A. Williams Named “Best Healthcare Executive” at Executive … - MSN … 31 Oct 2008 at 7: ... insurance lawyer. Senior health … SPEAK OUT: Irony not the only thing lost in state funding cuts ... fall during October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. For … Cigna Shares [more...]
Date: 2008-10-31 16:53:56
BushCo's Left Over's
There's a evil wind blowing people off their fragile grasp on Employer Sponsored Insurance (ESI) plans ... 2009. We dodged a bullet with John McCain and his health care initiatives. Some here might say John McCain's health care plan never had a chance of passing even if he were elected. Some say the same [more...]
Date: 2009-01-14 00:21:15
near tears
I am so frustrated right now. Abby and Carter both had ABR's done in mid-December and because of a drastic drop in hearing, they both need hearing aid adjustments. Our ENT told us that his audiologist on staff was getting the technology to adjust hearing aids and both he and the audiologist said it would be up and ready by the beginning of the [more...]
Date: 2009-02-12 19:29:00
The Medicare Claims Process And You
by Don Bethune Currently 43 million Americans have Medicare and that number is growing drastically because of aging baby boomers. Medicare is the largest purchaser of managed health care in the country and it is imperative ... in 1965. It consists of coverage in two parts. There is aPart A-Hospitala and there is aPart B-Medicala [more...]
Date: 2009-03-06 14:47:33
Data “Dysprotection:” breaches reported last week
A recap of breaches newly reported or updated last week on the main news site, PogoWasRight.org. There are a large number of breaches reported this week due to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office uploading a batch of notifications that had not appeared in media coverage before. Newly reported incidents in the U.S [more...]
Date: 2008-12-08 11:20:15
Hard times: major insurer lowers price of cholesterol drug
As the economy sours, people are feeling the economic pinch of co-payments for prescription drugs. Now, Cigna, one of the country's largest health insurance companies, is offering some relief ... , president of Cigna's pharmacy management division, in a statement. Technically, the insurer granted [more...]
Date: 2008-12-05 22:40:27
Health Insurance, Healthcare, and Policy
Someone recently asked me that if she should pick the PPO, the HMO, or stay with Kaiser ... of a health insurance company like Cigna, Blue Shield, or Pacific Care. Your job is to maximize ... (a good health insurance plan would cover up to about $6 million in life time costs), then you would [more...]
Date: 2008-11-05 20:20:00
6 Months Left
Hi everyone! Just a few updates for today. The EU grant Elizabeth, myself and Caritas Armenia submitted to the EU was approved! I’ll be working with Elizabeth to try and leave Caritas in the best possible position to carry this project forward (it’ll be a three-year project) [more...]
Date: 2009-01-23 17:55:01
Insurance company, Cigna, sued over teen’s leukemia death
Love them or hate them, health and medical insurance companies provoke a lot of passion on both sides of the coin ... from complications of leukemia after, they claim, Cigna refused to pay for a liver transplant ... transplant. The article, Calif. teen’s family sues Cigna over transplant, says that the liver transplant [more...]
Date: 2008-12-30 08:14:03
Latest News in Health Insurance - Jan 21, 2009
Calif. insurance comm. seeks disability changes - Forbes 20 Jan 2009 at 7:18am For the second time in two months, ... if they earn more than $40,000 from selling non …Private Health Care - Chicago Tribune 16 Jan 2009 ... announced plans to eliminate up to 1,000 jobs this year and request rate increases [more...]
Date: 2009-01-21 14:16:57
Latest News in Health Insurance - March 04, 2009
SAMBA Selects HEALTHsuite® and eHealthsuite™ from RAM Technologies … - New… 3 Mar 2009 at 11: ... reform, but like the efforts underway for … Vets object to billing private insurance for service ... to require insurance companies to pay for … CIGNA Declares Dividend - Businesswire.com 25 Feb [more...]
Date: 2009-03-04 10:51:30
Have a GREAT weekend NPworld.us Karen 'n bill
POST NP JOBS & RatesPOST PA JOBS & Rates Nurse Practitioner Jobs Advanced Practice Clinician, Advanced Practice Providers Nurse Practitioner Jobs Subscribe in a reader Featured Nurse Practitioner Employers & Recruiters This is our standard job page that we email Mon-Sat to about 13, [more...]
Date: 2009-01-24 12:27:00
Humana Innovation Center Using Social Media to Engage Consumers and Broaden the Meaning of the Brand.
by Martin Trussell January 19, 2009 at 8:18 pm · Filed under Health IT, Business of Health, ... plans to engage their members to become healthier and better consumers of health care services ... of health and supplemental benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals.Greg [more...]
Date: 2009-01-20 00:18:37
AMA Sues Aetna and Cigna Over Out-of-Network Reimbursements
health insurance Fresh out of a $350 million settlement with UnitedHealth, the AMA is turning its sights on Aetna and Cigna ... . For instance, for a 15-minute office visit in New York City – the most common service – health plans ... rates for patients who get out-of-network care. Aetna and Cigna both used Ingenix to calculate [more...]
Date: 2009-02-10 14:57:52
Cigna Job Cuts: Latest Addition to Healthcare Layoff Watch
So Cigna (CI) has now joined the roll of health-insurance companies that are busy cutting workers as the economy worsens and rising medical costs ... jobs, while taking a charge of $30 million to $40 million. Cigna lays off 1100 workers, takes $30-$40 million charge Cigna, whose health-insurance business is largely focused on administering health [more...]
Date: 2009-01-07 07:38:27
Physicians for a National Health Program? For pity sakes
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP). Oh, good grief. What do these guys want? ... fewer administrative costs and affording health insurance for the 46 million Americans ... , contributes scholarly articles to peer-reviewed medical journals, and appears regularly on national television [more...]
Date: 2009-01-25 16:48:00
AMA Sues Aetna, CIGNA Over Out-of-Network Care
Aetna and CIGNA have been named in a lawsuit filed by the American Medical Association (AMA) over health insurance reimbursement payments. According to the AMA, the lawsuit charges that Aetna and CIGNA used a flawed database to pay physicians artificially low rates for out-of-network care. The database in question is operated [more...]
Date: 2009-02-23 18:16:12
Medical tourism predicted to grow
Teaser: New York -- U.S. health insurer WellPoint Inc ... in 2009. Story: Insurance companies have noticed an exodus of U.S. patients to hospitals abroad ... medical care and the number is expected to grow to 1.5 million in 2008, the report said. In 10 years [more...]
Date: 2008-11-13 17:35:09
CPR or "DNR" for Health Care?
(Crossposted from the day job.) They’re at it again. Conservatives, in concert with the health insurance industry, are desperately reaching for relevance on health care. But what they call CPR is really DNR — a “do not resuscitate” order for a health care system in critical condition [more...]
Date: 2009-03-04 17:22:41
Online Services Let Patients Seek a Second Opinion
A recent Newsweek article discusses online second opinion services which offer a patient a consultation from a medical specialist based on the patient’s medical record which he has sent to the specialist via either fax, snail mail, or e-mail ... of security and privacy of the patient’s online medical report, which I have blogged [more...]
Date: 2009-02-19 21:29:47
Plan For Deductible Medicare
by Don Bethune How hard is it to find the Medicare that’s right for you? Do you struggle to find a plan that fits your needs ... and the phonebook.It is best if you are able to find a cigna physician and enquire him about Medica and the questions related to it. A great plan to acquire is the prevention plan. Prevention plans are key [more...]
Date: 2009-03-04 22:49:23
Latest News in Health Insurance - Nov 5, 2008
Is it legal to set a deadline for expense vouchers? - Boston Globe 2 Nov 2008 at 7:33am Q ... more than 30 days after the last day of travel. Is … JENNINGS INSURANCE AGENCY EXPANDS, ADDING ANNIE DUDEN - dBusinessNews.com 29 Oct 2008 at 7:41pm LAKE OSWEGO – Jennings Insurance Agency Inc [more...]
Date: 2008-11-05 13:00:13
LIMRA/McKinsey Release Study On Life Insurance Industry - Distribution Under Stress
LIMRA and McKinsey & Company recently released a study about distribution in the life insurance industry ... said Vivek Agrawal of McKinsey, a member of the team that conducted ... Related posts: Cigna Study - Reducing Medical Cost Protect Your Household With Proper Life Insurance For Everyone FEE [more...]
Date: 2009-03-05 10:21:16
Latest News in Health Insurance - Feb 18, 2009
Company to buy, update office building in Penfield - Democrat and Chronicle 18 Feb 2009 at 12:53am A Penfield company has received $121, ... Cigna Corp. and Aetna Health Inc. The lawsuits claim the insurance giants underpaid physicians ... plans to purchase and update a two-story, 13,000-square-foot office building at 1260 Creek Street [more...]
Date: 2009-02-18 11:16:13
