health-insurance
Timing and cost of new vaccines vary by virus and health insurance status
As summer edges toward fall, thoughts turn to, well, vaccines. Yes, inevitably, it’s time to think about the usual suspects — influenza and COVID-19 shots — but also the new kid in town: recently approved vaccines for RSV, short for respiratory syncytial virus. But who should get the various vaccines, and when? “For the eligible […]
Fertility health coverage is still hard to come by in many states
As fertility rates drop and more women postpone childbirth into their 30s and 40s, more states are considering mandating that private insurers cover fertility treatments to help people start a family without the crushing out-of-pocket expenses. Such laws would help people such as Miraya and Andy Gran of Bloomington, Minnesota, who ended up spending $102,000 to have their […]
Biden administration to crack down on ‘junk’ health insurance plans, surprise billing
The administration is providing guidance to hospitals that patients are either in-network, with the costs for their health care falling under billing limitations in the Affordable Care Act, or it is out-of-network care and billing costs are covered by a federal law known as the No Surprises Act.
State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, the longest-serving member of Pa. House, has died after lymphoma fight
State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Allegheny, the longest serving member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has died, the chamber’s Democratic leaders announced Monday. DeLuca, 85, was fighting lymphoma, a disease he had previously defeated, when he died at his home in Penn Hills outside Pittsburgh. House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia said the House lost […]
Elderly Iowans being harmed by their state insurance regulators, Pa. officials tell federal judge
By Clark Kauffman Elderly Iowans are being harmed by their state insurance commissioner in a fight over long-term care insurance, Pennsylvania officials told a federal judge this week. In March, Iowa Insurance Commissioner Douglas M. Ommen filed a petition in Polk County District Court seeking to intervene in the state of Pennsylvania’s efforts to address […]
Iowa officials race to stop Pa. company from jacking up insurance premiums on elderly residents
Outgoing Pa. insurance commissioner Jessica Altman, who craft the rate hike, left her state job on Friday.
Pa. Insurance Dept. hits UPMC with $250K penalty for Affordable Care Act violations
The UPMC review, one of five insurance company reviews conducted by PID, and which covered the time period between Jan. 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016, found that, among other violations, the company denied claims that should have been paid, miscalculated maximum out-of-pocket costs, and issued “unclear communications.”
Eleven generic versions of an HIV drug were rushed to market. And list prices went up. Why?
“Most generic medications are less than a bottle of Tylenol,” a pharmacist said. “We don’t need to pay for insurance to cover a bottle of Tylenol.”
Trump takes a final shot at Obamacare exchanges. How Pa. is impacted
By Michael Ollove On his way out of the White House, President Donald Trump is taking one last swipe at the Affordable Care Act, proposing to allow states to opt out of the Obamacare exchanges where millions of Americans enroll in health insurance plans. If states choose this potential new option, residents would no longer […]
Report: Ranks of Pa.’s uninsured children grew between 2016-19 | Tuesday Morning Coffee
Gains in reducing the rate of uninsured children have been wiped out over the last three years, a new study concludes.
Insurance companies and Big Pharma are fighting. And you’re left holding the bag | Opinion
By Simon F. Haeder Americans pay more for their prescription drugs than any other nation in the world. And the discrepancies are growing. Indeed, while per capita spending in the US today exceeds $1,000, the Germans and French pay about half that. Surprisingly, until the mid-1990s, the United States was really not an outlier when […]
‘The whole idea is peace of mind:’ Gov. Tom Wolf urges Pa. residents without insurance to get coverage
The open enrollment window closes on Dec. 15. Starting next year, Pa. residents will be able to obtain coverage through a state-run exchange.