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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: health insurers

health insurers stories: 14 news summaries

Lobbyists Deal Death Blows to Health Care Cost Cuts

Having KO'd most cuts, they're aiming at Cadillac tax and Medicare commission

Oct 11, 09 6:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - Who's winning the health care battle? Lobbyists, says the New York Times, who've succeeded in blocking virtually every avenue for cutting health care costs that has been put on the table. They've killed proposals that would pinch doctors, hospitals, insurers and employees who are the beneficiaries of so-called Cadillac health... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Nancy Pelosi • hospitals • White House • lobbyists • health care reform • Jay Rockefeller • Max Baucus • health insurers • doctors

ANALYSIS

 Forget What 
 You've Heard: 
 Health Reform 
 Is Nearly Done 

Obama has party, public, industry support, despite a few town halls

Sep 9, 09 7:22 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama goes into tonight's Congressional address amid talk that his health reform plan—and indeed his entire presidency—are nearly doomed. But the New York Times, in a front-page analysis piece, is far more optimistic, noting that August's town hall chaos did not substantially change public opinion, nor did... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Congress • Democrats • Olympia Snowe • health care reform • George Voinovich • health insurers • Obama administration • public option • health insurance industry

 White House Fires Back 
 at Drudge on Health Care 

Responds to video showing Obama discussing 'eliminating' private insurance

Aug 4, 09 8:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - The White House released a video response today to a Drudge Report posting labeled “Uncovered Video: Obama Explains How His Health Care Plan Will ‘Eliminate’ Private Insurance.” The communications director for the White House Office of Health Reform says the clip is taken “out of context”... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health insurance • Drudge Report • health care reform • health insurers • Obama administration • President Obama • Linda Douglass

forget the beach

 5 Things to Watch During 
 Critical August Break

Health care takes center stage in 'consequential' recess

Aug 3, 09 12:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - With health care reform hanging in the balance, the August congressional recess is likely to be a lot less relaxing than usual, writes Glenn Thrush in Politico. What to watch:
  1. Health insurers’ response to Nancy Pelosi’s singling them out as the "bad guys" on soaring health care
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Nancy Pelosi • Congress • protests • Senate Finance Committee • recess • health care reform • Max Baucus • health insurers • approval ratings • President Obama • tea parties • public option

OPINION

 Obama's Health 
 Plan Will Crack  
 Whip on States 

States mishandle Medicaid, get bullied by private firms: doctor

Jul 29, 09 12:25 PM CDT
(Newser) - Doctors nationwide are “outraged” by President Obama’s health care plan, but “I call it progress,” writes one Missouri physician for Salon. The reform would take oversight out of the hands of states, which seemingly specialize in “lax regulation of private insurers” and poor handling of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • health insurance • physician • Medicaid • health care reform • state spending • state governments • health insurers • President Obama

Ex-Exec: Insurers Rip Off Customers

Senate panel hears of junk policies, efforts
to dump sick peope

Jun 24, 09 8:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - In the latest battle in the public vs. private health insurance debate, private insurers took a beating today on Capitol Hill. The gist, as presented by a Senate report and testimony from a former PR executive: Insurance companies routinely make consumers pay for bills the companies themselves should cover, sell... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health insurance • Senate • health care reform • Cigna • health insurers

OPINION

If Health Care Push Fails, Blame Dems

Public wants a public option; why do 'centrists' oppose it?

Jun 22, 09 10:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - Now ought to be a good time to reform health care. With costs up and coverage down, polls show the public overwhelmingly favors change. Unfortunately, “a handful of Democratic senators are still determined to party like it’s 1993,” writes Paul Krugman of the New York Times.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • health insurance • universal health care • Democrat • health care reform • congressional Democrats • Paul Krugman • Ben Nelson • health insurers • insurance industry • public option

 Private Health Insurers 
 Back Reform 

Firms risk losing customers; aim to avoid single-payer plan

Jun 7, 09 8:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - Facing a shrinking customer base, private health insurers are backing reform in the industry—a surprise from the same firms that fought President Clinton’s health care effort, the Los Angeles Times reports. Insurers are supporting a proposed mandate backed by the  Obama administration that would require everyone to buy... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health insurance • health care reform • single payer health care • health insurers

(Newser) - The push for health care reform got a significant boost today: Big insurers say they are willing to stop charging higher premiums to people with pre-existing medical conditions, the New York Times reports. In the surprise move, industry leaders say they are willing to give up the practice if Congress... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Congress • health insurance • health insurance premiums • health care reform • health insurers

Next Stab at Health Reform Looks More Promising

Industry claims to be ready to compromise

Nov 20, 08 9:33 AM CST
(Newser) - If health care reform passes this time, a major factor will be that its erstwhile enemies are now rooting for it, the Wall Street Journal reports. An industry roadblock killed the Clinton administration’s attempt in the early 1990s, but this time, insurers are playing ball. “You see a... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • Ted Kennedy • health care industry • universal health care • Clinton administration • health care reform • Max Baucus • Tom Daschle • health insurers • President Obama

US Insurers Warming to Medical Tourism

Sending patients to India, elsewhere could save $20B a year

Jun 30, 08 2:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - If you’re in need of high-priced surgery, your insurance company might have a plane ticket for you. Insurers are starting to warm to “medical tourism” for the same reason uninsured Americans are: Surgery is significantly cheaper overseas. At least 150,000 Americans go abroad for medical procedures every... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care costs • health insurance • Aetna • Cigna • health insurers • Blue Cross • medical tourism

Insurer Owes Patient $9M for Ending Policy

Calif. firm canceled
her plan in the middle
of chemo treatments

Feb 23, 08 9:36 AM CST
(Newser) - A California health insurance company owes a breast cancer patient $9 million in damages after it canceled her policy in the middle of chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer, the LA Times reports. The arbitration judge called Health Net’s actions “despicable." The hefty ruling, the largest of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • California • health insurance • breast cancer • lawsuit • health insurers • arbitration • Health Net

States Push to Restrain Insurers

Legislators see rise in unfair cancellations
of individual plans

Feb 21, 08 5:10 PM CST
(Newser) - As more Americans buy individual health insurance, states are acting to make sure insurers don’t cancel the plans without fair cause, USA Today reports. Plans can be canceled if applicants misreport their medical history, whether accidentally or on purpose. But amid complaints that companies are cutting the plans... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care industry • insurance • state legislature • state governments • health insurers • Blue Cross • health care cancellations • insurance fraud

Dems Take Aim at Big Business

Obama and Clinton turn up the heat heading into Wisconsin, Ohio primaries

Feb 16, 08 1:07 PM CST
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, heading into primaries in states struggling with joblessness and the mortgage crisis, are sharpening their attacks on big business, the Wall Street Journal reports. Both are lambasting oil companies, corporate tax cuts, and health insurers. Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary will be a test of which... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • John Edwards • unions • Ohio primary • Pennsylvania primary • corporate tax cuts • corporate wealth • health insurers • oil companies

14 Stories


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