Blue Cross vs. Pharmacies battle illustrates biggest difficulty in healthcare reform

So says Wilkes-Barre’s The Citizens Voice.

Be careful relying on the internet to search for a doctor, warns the Post-Gazette

“Two years ago, WellPointe, a huge insurance company with health-care providers all over the country — teamed with survey maven Zagat to establish online physician ratings,” reports the newspaper. “In short, many doctors who ordered fewer tests for patients received higher recommendations from the insurers’ websites.”

Read more: http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10069/1041397-114.stm#ixzz0hmhNFvBn

The White House had a talk with 5 major health insurance companies yesterday

Insurance companies are pointing their finger at hospitals, saying they’re to blame for rising premiums.

Highmark aiming to reduce staff by 300, at first through voluntary buyouts

Highmark said it lost about 100,000 subscribers in 2009.

Obama admin warns that double-digit increases in health insurance premiums are approaching

The announcement comes as the President continues to push for healthcare reform.

Independence Blue Cross changing 3 plans; customers worried

The replacement plans will be more expensive, and provide less coverage.

Highmark looking to send jobs overseas

The health insurer is looking to hire workers in other countries to take care of administrative work.

Small businesses: We’re paying more for less employee coverage

In the past few years, costs for premiums have skyrockets for small businesses that want to buy health insurance for their employees– plus, the plans they buy are covering less expenses. So many of them are dropping coverage altogether.

Here’s a first: A health insurer is opening its own health clinic in the Philly area

The clinic will be entirely funded and administered by an insurance company. Instead of working for medical practices or hospitals, every doctor, nurse, technician, and clerk at the two-story clinic will be a Bravo Insurance employee. And the patients won’t be able to just walk in off the street. Every one of them will have to have Bravo insurance.

New federal law requires many insurance companies to provide mental health coverage

As of Jan. 1, the law requires that group plans covering more than 50 people provide the same level of care for mental health and substance abuse problems as for medical ones.