Latest Commentary

HCSC's 'social marketing marathon' educates consumers about exchanges

Health Care Services Corporation (HCSC) is taking matters into its own hands. Deciding not to rely on federal or state governments to inform and educate the public about the health insurance exchanges, it launched its own advertising campaign particularly aimed at the uninsured population in the four states where it operates Blue Cross Blue Shield plans--Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. 

Fraud prevention: Decipher the claims data story

Payers sift through and analyze millions of provider claims, working to prevent fraud and cut costs. They rightly consider these claims as valuable points of information that help identify...

Does a postponed employer mandate signal more delays?

After the Obama administration surprised almost everyone in the healthcare industry by postponing the employer mandate by an extra year, two questions immediately came to my mind--How will this...

Young adults: Friend or foe to insurers?

Will they or won't they? Industry analysts are attempting to answer the question of whether young adults will actually buy coverage available through the new health insurance exchanges that open...

Will NBA players slam dunk messages about exchanges?

As I write this column, almost no one outside of the healthcare industry knows anything about health insurance exchanges. And if they've even heard that term, or the one the U.S. Department of...

Consumers are coming: 3 steps to prepare for them

The consumers are coming! The consumers are coming! That might as well have been the bottom line message of each interview I have conducted related to the AHIP Institute 2013 in Las Vegas.

AHIP Institute: Consumers and exchanges intricately intertwined

Several themes emerge as I peruse the agenda for AHIP Institute 2013 held later this week in Las Vegas--consumers are key, but the millions of new consumers about to enroll in health insurance...

Will exchanges see real competition among insurers?

The White House claimed a victory last week when it announced more than 120 insurers intend to sell plans on the federally-run health insurance exchange and that 90 percent of consumers would choose...

On a quest for price transparency, drop confidentiality clauses

There's a growing trend in the healthcare industry–disclosing costs for services. In any other industry, that's a no-brainer necessity for a consumer to make an informed decision about what to purchase. But when it comes to health insurance, consumers often must determine whether to undergo a test, procedure or exam without knowing those services' accompanying price tags. 

WellPoint's primary care program gets warm reception from docs

Ever since WellPoint launched its unique and innovative patient-centered primary care program in January, the nation's second largest insurer says doctors already are providing positive...