Joanne Finnegan

Articles by Joanne Finnegan

Covered California report says exchange enrollees getting needed care

California's state-run health insurance exchange, Covered California, took a look back at its first two years of operation and concluded in a new report that there are many indications its enrollees are getting the medical care they need.

Enrollment surge means rocky start to 2016 for health insurance customers

The large surge in health insurance enrollment at the end of 2015 has resulted in problems for thousands of insurance customers in the new year, according to an Associated Press report.

Insurers' support for HIEs driven by value-based payment

Despite the problems that have stood in the way of health information exchanges, insurers are increasingly seeing the benefit of sharing information in large part because of value-based payment, according to a report in Managed Care magazine.

Courts may ultimately decide debate over mandatory wellness programs

Employee wellness programs started off being voluntary with participants perhaps saving a few hundred dollars for agreeing to tests that measure health indicators such as blood pressure, body-mass and cholesterol. But now wellness programs are becoming more mandatory than they are voluntary, and some companies have gone a step further to deny health benefits completely for those who do not participate, according to a Bloomberg Business report.

 

Obama offers incentive to spur more states to expand Medicaid

Hoping more states will expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama will offer a financial incentive in his proposed fiscal year 2017 budget, according to the White House.

Provider-sponsored health plans ill-equipped to compete in insurance markets

With even experienced health insurers struggling to get it right when it comes to their offering of Affordable Care Act plans, multiple provider-sponsored health plans are doomed to fail, argues a Health Affairs blog post.

Study: More than half of exchange products are HMOs, EPOs

In a new study that examined plans offered on the Affordable Care Act exchanges, the the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association found insurers are offering more health maintenance organization and exclusive provider organization plans in 2016.

 

Independence Blue Cross to cover gene sequencing for cancer care

​Independence Blue Cross has become the first major insurer to cover next-generation whole genome sequencing for a variety of cancers.

Humana encourages members to use wearable technology to improve health

Wearable technology, such as Fitbit and Apple Watch, have a role to play in helping motivate people to engage in healthy activities, a HumanaVitality executive said in an interview with CIO Insight.

UnitedHealth says rates for its N.Y. plans too low in light of CO-OP collapse

The collapse last year of Health Republic of New York, the country's largest consumer operated and oriented plan, is having a reverberating effect on other insurers on the state's insurance exchange, including UnitedHealth Group.