400 people marched for healthcare reform yesterday in Philadelphia
The march was part of a national day of action, called “Big Insurance: Sick of It.”
Blue Cross of Northeastern PA reports $200M drop in surplus
The Times-Tribune reports that Blue Cross of Northeastern PA has reported a $200M drop in the nearly half-billion surplus they had at the end of 2007 – a 43% drop in 15 months.
Bus for prescription assistance program will make rounds in PA during July
The “Help is Here Express” bus will tour Pennsylvania, to help those who struggle to pay for their prescription medications.
Hospitals having trouble paying for care for the increasing amount of jobless people
The average wait time for one northeastern PA health clinic has increased from two to six weeks.
Healthcare organizations and others statewide weigh in on MCARE issue
Last week, Gov. Rendell announced that he would not seek renewal of the state-funded insurance subsidy program for doctors, known as MCARE, because medical malpractice lawsuits in PA have declined in the last decade.
Rendell says he won’t renew MCARE program
Says that due in part to a decrease in medical malpratice lawsuits, malpractice insurance help for physicians is unneeded.
Doctor examines pay-for-performance vs. traditional fee-for-service insurance reimbursement models
Pauline Chen, M.D. writes the opinion piece for the New York Times.
Medicare Part D Open Enrollment ends Dec. 31; up to 300k Seniors Lack Coverage
Some seniors still haven’t signed up for Medicare Part D coverage, and open enrollment ends Dec. 31. With many premiums rising, seniors are encouraged to evaluate their current coverage to ensure they’re using the right program.
Rising Healthcare Costs See More Patients Reaching Lifetime Coverage Limits
As healthcare costs rise, patients are more frequently reaching their lifetime coverage limits, according to a recent feature in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey has found that more than half of all American employer-based insurance policies have caps that limit how much can be spent on any one employee throughout their lifetime.
Now, due [...]
Senate GOP posts Sen. White’s comments on Blues merger
The Senate GOP is keeping up with the times by posting a podcast of Sen. White’s comments against the Blues merger.