health insurance companies

How The Merger Of Two Health Care Giants May Affect Your Wallet

NPR Programs: Morning Edition  Tue, 08/16/2011 - 10:01pm

Express Scripts and Medco Health Services manage the prescription drug coverage that health insurance companies offer to large organizations.

The two firms say their plans for a $29 billion merger will help control health care costs for consumers.

But will bigger really be better?

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Obama's Proposal Would Limit Rate Hikes

NPR Programs: Morning Edition  Mon, 02/22/2010 - 8:57am

The White House unveiled a new health care overhaul plan Monday. It includes a proposal to give federal authorities the power to limit rate hikes by health insurance companies.

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Are the Wheels Coming off the Bus?

Donklephant  Tue, 12/08/2009 - 11:43am

ABC News’ Jake Tapper reports on a tiff between Rep.

John Conyers, D-Mich., and the President:

Conyers has been critical of the president’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan and last month he had harsh words on the president’s efforts on health care reform.



 

The Economics Of Getting Sick: Rescissions & Fraud

Donklephant  Tue, 09/08/2009 - 9:43am

If you’re not familiar with the word rescission, this is the practice of canceling policies because people didn’t reveal a preexisting condition.

And it’s one of the key reasons why the health insurance companies can claim that there’s $100 billion in health care fraud every year.



 

Lobbyists Campaign For Their Health Care 'Reform'

NPR Programs: Morning Edition  Wed, 09/02/2009 - 3:50am

There are many people trying to influence the debate on overhauling health care. Washington lobbyists are pushing the interests of health insurance companies, drug companies, hospitals and many more.

Lobbyist Paul Lee, a founder of Strategic Health Care, talks with Ari Shapiro about the debate over changing the health care system.



 

The Myth Of Private Health Care Efficiency

Donklephant  Mon, 08/03/2009 - 2:46pm

Bill Moyers recently sat down with Wendell Potter, an industry insider who worked for CIGNA, one of the top health insurance companies in the US, for the past 15 years.

Now Potter has now turned into health reform advocate, and the result is a must watch interview.

Because not only does it uncover what many of us already suspected (people denied care unjustly), it also puts the lie to the myth that private industry is more efficient.

In fact, it’s nearly 700% less efficient by some measures.



 

Congressional Dems Won’t Back Down From Public Plan

Donklephant  Thu, 06/25/2009 - 3:49pm

They say they won’t pass any plan that doesn’t have a public option in it, and that inflexible position could scuttle the whole thing.