Recent Articles
Humana now offers a 24 Hour Coverage Rider to owners not eligible for Workers Compensation
Humana is now offering a 24 hour coverage rider which replaces coverage for owners, officers, partners that are not eligible for Workers Compensation coverage. If the enrollment in the 24 Hour Coverage rider is less than 50% of the total group population, then there...
Aetna now allows domestic partner coverage in Illinois
Effective January 1, 2009, the following changes occurred with regard to domestic partner coverage with Aetna: Aetna small group health insurance plans will allow domestic partner coverage in Illinois, although it is not state mandated. Coverage is available to...
Humana One Product Updates
HumanaOne® and Rush Health Systems have renegotiated their contract. Rush Health Systems will continue to be a part of the Humana networks effective 1/1/09. There will be no disruption in network coverage for existing members. More information to follow at a later...
Health Care Fraud Patterns to be Aware of
Estimated at costing $54 billion annually, health care fraud increases health care costs for insurance companies, which get passed on to policyholders in higher premiums. Some recent patterns of health care fraud include: Billing for “free” screenings and services not...
Michelle’s Law Extends Coverage for Sick College Students Taking a Medical Leave
Michelle's Law (HR-2851) was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on October 3, 2008 as Public Law No: 110-381. Michelle’s Law requires group and individual health plans to continue covering otherwise eligible dependent children taking a medical...
Health-care premiums may soar in 2009
Already struggling in a tough economy, many small employers are about to face another big hit: markedly higher increases in health-insurance premiums as they head into 2009. For many of these companies, the steeper increases couldn't come at a worse time, when the...
How Obama Can Fix Health Care
HEALTH care drained the federal budget of more than $1 trillion this year. That includes direct health care programs like Medicare, plus insurance for federal employees and the cost of excluding employer health-care contributions from workers’ taxable incomes. If...
Blue Extras Discount Program now available to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PDP members
All Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) members will have access to the Blue Extras program effective January 1, 2009. Blue Extras is a value-added benefits program that offers discounts on health and wellness products and...
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois replacing Walgreens as pharmacy mail-order vendor for Medicare Prescription Drug Plan pharmacy mail-order vendor
Effective January 1, 2009, Prime Therapeutics will become the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) pharmacy mail-order vendor for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois plans, replacing Walgreens. Existing members who use the mail order program are being notified via...
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Dental PPO Provider Network Grows, New ID Cards Issued
Health Care Service Corporation, which operates through its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, is proud to announce a 26 percent growth increase in its Dental PPO Network, which is administered by the Dental Network of...