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News & Announcements about health insurance in California




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Blue Shield seeks 9% rate increase on grandfathered family plans

October 23, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Blue Shield of California has submitted a rate filing with the California Department of Insurance proposing an average increase of 9% in premium rates for older off-exchange plans. The rates would become effective January 1, 2016. Individual and family slated for the rate increase are from Blue Shield Life PPO Plans

Filed Under: Blue Shield Tagged With: Blue Shield, California, IFP, Rate Increase

Covered California releases results of consumer survey

October 22, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Based on the survey results, as well as a review of research from a wide range of other sources (including those who have enrolled), Covered California has refined its comprehensive outreach campaign aimed at reaching the uninsured in their communities, through Navigator grants to community organizations; support for more than 18,000 Certified Insurance Agents; and promotion of storefronts where consumers can get free, confidential help enrolling.

Filed Under: Covered California Tagged With: Consumer Survey, Covered California

Billions in grant money for HIV/AIDS medication and care awarded by HHS

October 21, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced today that more than $2.2 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grants was awarded in fiscal year (FY) 2015 to cities, states and local community-based organizations.

Filed Under: HHS Tagged With: AIDS, Grants, HHS, HIV, Medication

Cigna discontinues some California health plans for 2016

October 20, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Cigna will be discontinuing some off-exchange plans the following plans and moving current members to an equivalent health plan. The marketing term “myCigna” preceding 2015 non-standard benefit design plans is being dropped on some plans, but the overall benefit design will remain the same. For example, myCigna California Platinum will now be called Cigna California Platinum.

Filed Under: Cigna Tagged With: Cigna

Medicare Advantage plans by county and state for 2016

October 16, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Every year the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) produces spreadsheets with mountains of data on Medicare Advantage medical plans and the Part D Prescription drug plans. In addition to a detailed review of Medicare Advantage Star Ratings and the forty-seven different measurements, CMS also catalogs all the available MA-PDs and PDPs in what are called Landscape Source files.

Filed Under: Medicare Tagged With: Advantage, Drug Plans, Medicare

Anthem Blue Cross incorrect 2016 Bronze plan mailer

October 16, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Anthem Bronze PPO members with contract codes 1FZ3 and 1FZ4 received Benefit Comparison Charts in their 2016 Open Enrollment Kits that had incorrect coinsurance amounts listed for Tier 4 pharmacy benefits. The 2016 Tier 4 Retail Pharmacy benefits were listed as 0% coinsurance up to $500, and the Tier 4 Mail Order Pharmacy benefits were listed as 0% coinsurance up to $1,500. These amounts are not correct. The correct pharmacy benefits for 2016 are as follows:

Filed Under: Anthem Blue Cross Tagged With: 2016, Anthem Blue Cross, Benefit, Bronze, Drug, Pharmacy

Blue Shield ordered to pay mid-year rebates in 2016

October 15, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

If the emerging utilization and trend projections yield an updated projected federal MLR that is more favorable to Blue Shield than the current projections filed with the Department as part of the rate review process for Plan Year 2016, then Blue Shield must issue amid-year rebate to consumers by July 31, 2016.

Filed Under: Blue Shield Tagged With: Blue Shield, California, Department of Managed Health Care

Covered California melts down during renewal period

October 15, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

As Covered California began to allow consumers to renew their health insurance for 2016 the online enrollment system has ceased to operate. They issued an Agent Alert on Thursday at 2:45pm.

Filed Under: Certified Agents, Covered California Tagged With: Agents, Covered California, Enrollment

Aetna accused of unreasonable rate increases

October 15, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced today that Department of Insurance actuaries found Aetna Life Insurance Company’s most recent small group health insurance rate increase excessive and unreasonable. Aetna is increasing rates for small businesses and their employees by an annual average of 27.4 percent.

Filed Under: Aetna, Cal DOI, Small Group Tagged With: Aetna, California, Department of Insurance, Small Group

2016 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings complete data set

October 14, 2015 By Kevin Knauss Leave a Comment

Medicare Advantage medical insurance plans and Part D Prescription Drug plans must notify existing and new members of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Star Ratings that have been assigned to them. While the plans must print the overall Star Rating for the plan, there are actually over forty specific measurements, each with its own rating, that make up the overall scores. For people who want to dive deeper in to the numbers, I’ve provided the CMS spreadsheet of all the ratings for each plan and measurements.

Filed Under: Medicare Tagged With: Medicare Advantage, Star Ratings

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