A proper conversion

We write a lot about health insurance here at IB, but we’re far from one-trick ponies. Although life insurance is (generally) a much less controversial topic, and the product has fewer moving parts (and, of course, just the one claim), it’s no less important, and has its own set of potential pitfalls.Case in point:A few [...]

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My favorite new year’s copay so far

A new year means insurance copays and deductibles skyrocket to the realms only the super-rich can afford. My favorite copay so far was 5 for a 30-count bottle of Truvada.For those of you who don’t know, Truvada is used to treat HIV and AIDS. It is a critical component in a multi-drug cocktail necessary for [...]

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Florida mulls lawsuit over antipsychotic programs

They’re powerful psychotic drugs, used to treat conditions like schizophrenia. No one knows what their effects are on children, especially infants, yet within seven years the number of children prescribed the drugs in Florida’s health insurance program for the poor has nearly doubled. There’s no doubting one side effect, though – drugmakers watched sales soar, [...]

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Sum questions answered.

I’ve received a few questions about the Minimed CGM in the comments and I wanted to address them here, because when I started to answer in the comments section, I was waaaaaaay too wordy.  Here’s the MiniLink FAQ, answered with my limited three day knowledge base.Did your insurance cover your CGM?I had the good luck [...]

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Governor spells out 2008 agenda

Echoing the themes laid out by the Senate and House leaders on Wednesday, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter on Thursday laid out his priorities for 2008 in a state-of-the-state address that was packed with big ideas but thin on funding specifics. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

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Warning: rant alert

?People can?t afford health care, it?s sooo expensive.? That?s bullshit. Health care is expensive, sure. Think about this you scum sucking morons:Stop buying shit. You DO NOT NEED the home theater system, designer clothes and purses and numerous game systems. A computer is not needed. You do not need to get your nails done. You [...]

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Why we need government health insurance

WashingtonCAN released the following press release today. It speaks for itself.
Washington Health Insurance Companies Making Record Financial Gains as Access to Quality Health Care Erodes
New data calls into question industry’s justification for rate-hikes
A Fact Sheet summarizing data is attached. For full report, visit: http://www.nwfco.org/pubs/2008.0110_Insuring.Health.or.Ensuring.Profit.pdf
Seattle, WA ? Washington’s major health insurance companies are making record [...]

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State budget plan would cut billions in spending, 7,000 jobs

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, saying the state faces a "very tough situation," proposed a 1 billion California general fund budget for 2008-2009 on Thursday that would close an expected .5 billion deficit without tax increases but would cut the equivalent of more than 7,000 jobs from the state payroll over the next 18 months. (Source: bizjournals.com [...]

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Amgen reps instructed to poach medical records?

I very much hope the following accusations prove to be inaccurate or exaggerated. If not, what is described here is almost unbelievable.After all the efforts by many different communities to promote the need for medical records privacy, security and confidentiality; with the penalties specified in HIPAA (albeit still rarely enforced); and with the increasingly common [...]

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A caregiver rants about insurance company communication

I?m an easy-going sort usually, so why do I find it so hard to keep my temper when I?m talking to customer service reps at insurance companies?
Case in point: A week or so ago, out of the blue, Pops got a letter from Aetna welcoming him to the Aetna Medicare Rx Plan ? except nobody [...]

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