Senate Committee Chairman: Health care reform won’ t include illegal immigrants (Dallas Morning News)
Health care reforms that aim to insure every American won’t provide insurance for illegal immigrants and may not address the cost to state and local governments for providing medical care to this large group of the uninsured, Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mt., said Thursday.
A.M. Best Upgrades Ratings of Republic Western Insurance Group and Its Members (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
OLDWICK, N.J.—-A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating to B+ from B and issuer credit ratings to “bbb-” from “bb” of the Republic Western Insurance Group and its members, which include Republic Western Insurance Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, North American Fire & Casualty Insurance Company .
New health insurance option sought (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
DES MOINES — A group is pushing for a public-policy option on health insurance, saying the two largest health insurers — United Healthcare and Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield — control 80 percent of the Iowa health insurance market and 85 percent in Waterloo-Cedar Falls.
Group urges pressure for public health care (The Lewiston Sun Journal)
A national consumer group is trying to get Mainers to push for public health care, and it’s going door to door in Lewiston-Auburn to do it. The Prescription for Change lobbying effort is spearheaded by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine.
Consumer Group Calls For Public Health Care Plan (Hartford Courant)
Consumer advocates blamed skyrocketing health insurance premiums in Connecticut and other states on the industry’s mergers and too little competition in a report Wednesday that calls for a new public health plan to vie with private insurers.
2 health insurance companies have ‘near-monopoly’ in Florida, reform activists say (Orlando Sentinel)
A new report by activists backing President Barack Obama’s plan for health care reform says a few private health insurance companies have built “a near-monopoly” in Florida, burdening families and businesses with premiums that grew more than three times faster than wages from 2000 to 2007.
Tax Proposals Draw Critics in Talks on Financing Health Insurance (New York Times)
Lobbyists have mobilized to head off proposed taxes on employer-provided health benefits, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks.
North Carolinians Debate Public Health Insurance (MyNC.com)
Both sides: One NC group is rallying support for the President’s public health insurance plan, while Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, is weighing in on the other side.
North Carolinians Debate Public Health Insurance (NBC 17 Raleigh)
Members of the North Carolina branch of the advocacy group Health Care For America Now are trying to rally support for the President’s call for a public health insurance plan option. In a press conference Wednesday, they released a national report that argues health insurance company mergers have led to a near-monopoly marketplace and skyrocketing premiums. “A small number of large companies …
Health insurance rate hike request (FOX Providence)
Rhode Island’s top two health insurance companies want to raise their rates next year.