Health Care

State Official Orders Insurance Company To Sell Insurance To Children

Brian Beutler | October 15, 2010, 5:10PM

Washington's insurance commissioner stepped in today to force Regent Blue Shield -- the state's largest provider of insurance to children -- to keep selling children-only health care plans.

"Regence is in clear violation of state law that prohibits insurers from denying insurance to people on the basis of age," reads a statement from Mike Kreidler. "I was shocked and deeply disappointed when Regence announced its decision last week to stop selling insurance to kids."

One of the earliest-implemented -- and most popular -- provisions of the new health care law forbids insurance companies from denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions. Rebelling against the policy, insurance companies have threatened or attempted to stop selling children-only plans. New Hampshire's insurance commissioner likewise stepped in to block the maneuver.

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Health Care

Sen. Hagan: 'Closely' Looking At Health Care Bill, Still Worried About Deficit

Christina Bellantoni | October 27, 2009, 5:13PM

Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC)

Freshman Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) told reporters today she will be "looking very closely" at the health care bill as proposed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

On a conference call with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about rural health care, Hagan reiterated she supports "a backstop option for people that don't have access to employer-sponsored health care."

"I'm going to definitely be looking very closely at this bill to see exactly what's in it," Hagan said. "I am committed to working with my colleagues on a final reform bill that hopefully is going to bring stability and security to American families and is not going to add one dime to our federal deficit."

Reporters also asked about the TPMMuckraker scoop yesterday about Blue Cross mailers asking customers to lobby Hagan to oppose the public option.

Transcript after the jump.

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Health Care

White House Fires Back At BlueCross Study Mimicking Debunked AHIP Report

Brian Beutler | October 14, 2009, 4:17PM

President Barack Obama speaks at a Human Rights Campaign event.

This may not get the same amount of press attention as the damning--though ultimately flawed--AHIP/PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the impact of reform measures on the price of premiums. But White House officials are already decrying a new insurance company report alleging that health care reform will cause premiums to spike.

BlueCross BlueShield has sent an analysis to members of Congress--along with a letter, which you can read here--that reaches a similar conclusion to the PwC analysis: The provisions of the health care reform proposals on Capitol Hill that BlueCross don't like will cause people's premiums to skyrocket.

An administration official scoffed at the findings: "This report isn't quite as egregious as the AHIP report...if the AHIP report was a $3.50 bill, this one's a $3.00 bill."

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