Dina Overland

Biography for Dina Overland

Dina Overland is the editor of FierceHealthPayer. Prior to working with FierceMarkets, Dina wrote monthly newsletters on HIPAA and medical privacy issues, nursing home regulations, and food labeling laws. She also blogged for Prevention magazine. Based in the New Orleans area, Dina is a freelance writer, blogger, and indexer. She has a passion for maintaining a healthful, balanced lifestyle that incorporates many alternative and holistic medicines. Dina can be reached at [email protected]. Follow @HealthPayer on Twitter and find her on LinkedIn.

Articles by Dina Overland

Medicare will cover lung cancer screenings

Medicare will now cover lung cancer screenings by low-dose CT scans for members between 55 and 77 years old, according to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announcement.

Aetna, Humana deals with hep C drug maker help improve 2015 outlooks

Although Aetna reported increased fourth quarter profits and Humana said its profits were lower than expected, both insurers have favorable outlooks for 2015--largely because of agreements they've reached with hepatitis c drug maker Gilead.

Michigan Blues, hospitals save $50 million through value-based contracts

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has been a leader in the value-based payment movement, with many contracts already in place with its physicians. Now, the insurer is expanding its focus on value to hospitals, having signed value-based reimbursement agreements with 18 health systems in the state. So far, five of the contracted health systems have shared $50 million in total savings with Blue Cross.

How outsourcing operations helped the largest CO-OP beat the odds

The country's largest consumer operated and oriented plan, Health Republic, has the highest market share among the 17 plans offered on the New York health insurance exchange. This success stems from a "unique, dynamic" business model, the insurer's CEO said in an exclusive interview with FierceHealthPayer.

Medicaid expansion helps Anthem, UnitedHealth boost earnings

As insurers' stocks are hitting all-time highs, the nation's two largest insurers--UnitedHealth and Anthem--ended last year on a high note financially, with both reporting better-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter last year.

Report questions financial viability of CO-OPs

Consumer operated and oriented plans might be in financial trouble, based on a new report that all but one of the 24 nonprofit insurers created under the Affordable Care Act experienced losses through the third quarter of last year.

Are insurers quietly dropping small businesses?

As insurers reap financial benefits from the Affordable Care Act, many appear to be raising rates for small employers to the point that they can no longer afford to provide benefits.

Insurers fear shorter exchange enrollment period could hurt recruitment

Although insurers are still signing up new consumers for the current health insurance exchange enrollment period, they're starting to focus on next year's enrollment process to hopefully ward off major difficulties.

Aetna CEO on decision to raise minimum pay rates

Aetna announced last week that it was increasing the incomes of its lowest-paid employees by as much as 33 percent, to a minimum of $16 an hour because to do otherwise would be unfair, the insurer's chief exec said Wednesday. And he wants other companies to follow suit.

BCBS: Huge variation in medical costs shows need for price transparency

The costs for knee and hip replacements--the two fastest-growing medical treatments in the country--vary by more than $20,000, demonstrating that insurers should develop price transparency tools so consumers can shop for the best prices, according to a new report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.