Obama to force insurers to give out birth control when employers won’t

February 16th, 2012 No comments

The Obama Administration, fighting against critics of its health reform policy requiring religious employers to provide women with contraceptives, will force insurance companies to provide the services in cases where employers object to birth control on religious grounds.

The compromise puts the onus on insurers, not the employers, thus freeing the Obama Administration from the political headache caused when the Catholic Church and other groups opposed to birth control objected to the federal government forcing them to provide women with birth control services.

On Jan.

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Q&A: Is universal variable life insurance too risky?

January 31st, 2012 No comments

Having insurance is one of the most reliable ways of protecting your financial interests in cases of adverse events. However, choosing and buying the right insurance for yourself is not easy because there are just too many types of insurance policies that are available on the market.

The best approach to use in deciding which particular type of life insurance you must buy is to compare life insurance quotes closely by reviewing the policies side by side. If you give prime consideration to your present financial status, you can narrow down your choices to those with premium rates you can afford.

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Highmark launches new Simple Blue PPO individual insurance plan

January 12th, 2012 No comments

Highmark introduced a new individual insurance plan, effective Feb. 1, that it says offers simple health insurance coverage with a low premium, low deductible and predictable copayment structure.

The Pittsburgh-based health insurer serving Western and Central Pennsylvania introduced Simply Blue PPO, a medically underwritten plan that targets people without group coverage and covers 100% of preventive care services.

We listened to our members feedback, and weve heard them say that they would like a more affordable plan without a large upfront deductible, said Steven Nelson, senior vice president of health services strategy, product and marketing at Highmark, in a statement.

The plan does not include maternity coverage and uses Highmarks Progressive Formulary, a new generic-driven prescription drug plan that encourages members to seek lower-cost drug alternatives, while ensuring continued access to a brand-name drugs.

Premiums for Simply Blue are as low as $90 a month with a $500 deductible for males ages 25 to 29.

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Q&A: Ways to cut your home insurance costs

December 31st, 2011 No comments

Outside of the obvious – the value of your house – three things influence your home insurance rates.

You can use these factors to reduce the cost of insuring your home.

Deductibles.

Increasing your deductible amount often can save you up to 25 percent of your annual home insurance rates. Moving your $500 deductible to $1,000 might cause you a bit of anxiety. However, most homeowners only file claims for larger losses, so consistent premium savings may be a big winner.

Multiple policies with the same insurer.

Compare insurance quotes that include your auto, second home, or business coverage. Mul

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Humana acquires analytics company to enhance services

December 5th, 2011 No comments

Humana, based in Louisville, Kent., acquired a San Diego, Calif.-based health care analytics company to enhance its health care and identify cost savings.

Anvita Health provides analytics solutions that produce clinical insights for companies that want to improve the quality and lower the cost of health care for their members and clients.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

It will continue to operate independently as a subsidiary of Humana.

m enormous volumes of clinical data into actionable intelligence for the benefit of all of Humana’s constituencies, as well as across the health care system,” said Ahmed Ghouri, co-founder and chief medical officer of Anvita Health, in a statement. “Hu

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Q&A: Advice for the life insurance beginner

November 24th, 2011 No comments

Although you purchase life insurance for yourself, your dependents are obviously the ones who benefit from it. The primary purpose of life insurance is to enable your dependents to protect the family home and other assets should you pass away.

The proceeds from life insurance policies, referred to as the death benefit, provide the financial resources for the family home to continue to run as closely to normal as possible.

Additionally, the proceeds from life insurance policies are often essential to replace the income that is lost by the death of a loved one. Read more…