Managed Care Weekly articles from March 2004

Managed Care Weekly archives from March 2004

Interest in HSAs is high, but knowledge low, provider says.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Destiny Health, a provider of consumer-driven health plans, said a survey it conducted shows Americans' interest in health savings accounts (HSAs), a key component of the recently passed Medicare bill,...

Spending growth projected to nearly double in the next decade.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Despite a projected slowdown in its rate of growth, U.S. healthcare spending will reach nearly $3.4 trillion in 2013, nearly doubling in the next decade and consuming close to one-fifth of the nation's...

Moving non-sedating antihistamines to third-tier status yields greatest savings.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Health plan sponsors that did not cover over-the-counter (OTC) Claritin (loratadine) and moved other prescription non-sedating antihistamine (NSA) drugs to third-tier status under a three-tier drug...

Online pharmacies provide benefits to patients but also raise concerns.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Online pharmacies have raised ethical and safety concerns and have highlighted weaknesses in the traditional physician-pharmacist-patient relationship, researchers reported in an article in the February...

Study finds inappropriate medication prescribing for elderly patients.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Medications considered "inappropriate" were prescribed at approximately 8% of outpatient visits by elderly patients, with pain relievers and central nervous system drugs accounting for a large share,...

Study uncovers barriers to diagnosis, treatment of postpartum depression.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent survey administered by Magellan Behavioral Health's Texas service center, in collaboration with Pfizer Inc., found that almost half of all new mothers were never screened for depression by...

Temple University's medical school regains full accreditation.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The accrediting board for U.S. medical schools has restored full accreditation to Temple University's Medical School. Temple, one of only three medical schools in the country in 15 years to be put...

Unnecessary hospital stay after heart attack common in European countries.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Despite a decade of research suggesting that low-risk patients can be discharged from the hospital after 4 days, many countries - especially in Europe - could be keeping patients in hospital for an...

Booze tests tell all about our drinking.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- If you tend to be a little less than honest when your doctor asks you how much you drink, beware. A battery of new tests on blood, urine and hair can reveal how much someone has drunk - not only in the...

Intrepid files for Chapter 11 after bankruptcy of its primary lender.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Intrepid U.S.A., Inc., and certain of its affiliates, a privately held provider of essential nursing and home care in 30 states, filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota petitions...

Analysis says states are under-funding nursing home care.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new analysis of the U.S. Medicaid program by the accounting firm BDO Seidman, conducted for the American Health Care Association, reveals states are under-funding seniors' nursing home care by at...

Cancer center lays off 89 employees amid insurance dispute.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Parker Hughes Cancer Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, laid off 89 employees, and top officials at the Roseville clinic took drastic pay cuts just days after the nonprofit ended its contracts with...

Cigna outlines new direction, reports 4Q results.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cigna Corporation (CI) reported net income for the fourth quarter of 2003 of $290 million, or $2.06 per share, compared with net income of $47 million, or $0.33 per share, for the same period last year....

Coventry Health Care reports profit up 73% in fourth quarter.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Coventry Health Care Inc.'s fourth-quarter 2003 profits rose 73% from levels a year ago due to higher rates and membership gains for the health insurance company. The company reported net income of...

Humana reports profit for fourth quarter.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Humana Inc. reported a profit for the fourth quarter of 2003, beating Wall Street's expectations and citing gains in its commercial managed-care business. Humana said on February 2, 2004, it earned...

Insurer gains provider in Missouri.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aetna announced in February 2004 that Kansas City, Missouri-based Saint Luke's Health System will participate in Aetna's network of providers. Effective March 1, 2004, members enrolled in all Aetna...

Managed care organization reports rise in earnings, premiums; enrollment falls.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Oxford Health Plans Inc. posted a healthy rise in fourth-quarter profits as premiums rose and enrollment declined. It also disclosed it has responded to a request for information from the New York...

Missouri senator calls for cost-of-living raises to offset healthcare costs.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- One Missouri state senator says rising health care costs justify an automatic annual cost-of-living pay increase for most state employees. Senator John Cauthorn presented his bill tying employees'...

Pharmacy-services provider boosts profit.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Accredo Health Inc., which provides pharmacy services and treatment programs for chronic diseases, reported on February 2, 2004, that net income for its latest quarter jumped 13% on greater sales of...

Plan announced to post ads in 20 New York City hospitals.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advertisements will begin appearing in public hospitals across New York City in summer 2004, according to the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. (HHC). The ads will be placed in hospital...

Rural pharmacies say insurers squeezing them out of business.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Independent pharmacists in west-central Minnesota say large health insurance companies are unfairly squeezing them out of business, and that rural consumers will ultimately suffer by losing local access...

Small HMO that serves poor in Massachusetts gets help from larger rival.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A small health maintenance organization (HMO) that serves many of Massachusetts' poorest residents is getting a $10 million loan from a much larger competitor. Neighborhood Health Plan, which...

Small hospital channel solution expected to yield $5M in revenues.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Crown Medical Systems, Inc., (CWMS) announced that it is presenting its total solution for electronic medical records (EMR) privacy and security at a hospital in North Carolina. Crown expects the...

West Virginia hospitals get permission to raise insurer rates.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) and West Virginia University Hospitals are raising the rates they charge to commercial insurers. West Virginia's Health Care Authority gave CAMC permission to...

Not all tests should be advocated.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Certain screening tests for cancer are of unproven value and should not be advocated, argues a senior doctor. The blood test for cancer of the prostate (PSA) is an example, wrote Professor Malcolm...

Four New Jersey hospitals denied permission to perform heart surgery.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Four New Jersey hospitals have been denied permission to perform cardiac surgery by state health officials, who cited the need to maintain high quality levels for heart operations. James S....

Condition significantly impacts women's quality of life.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chronic cough affects women more severely than men and greatly impacts their quality of life, study results show. A University of Massachusetts Medical School study published in the February 2004...

Legacy Consulting Services signs DataChugger CH agreements.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Legacy Consulting Services announced that Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc., (CHNCT), and America's Health Choice Medical Plans, Inc., have signed agreements to use Legacy's DataChugger CH...

American Healthways, Harvard Pilgrim sign disease management contract.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Healthways, Inc., (AMHC) announced a 5-year agreement to provide its cardiac disease management program to approximately 6,000 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care members beginning March 1, 2004. ...

BIS technology to be integrated across monitoring product line.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aspect Medical Systems, Inc., (ASPM) has entered into a multiyear, worldwide development and licensing agreement with Draeger Medical Systems, Inc., the Patient Monitoring subsidiary of Draeger Medical...

Beverly Hills Weight Loss expands into New York.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Beverly Hills Weight Loss & Wellness, a wholly owned subsidiary of Weight Loss Forever International (WLFI), announced an agreement with North Country Wellness, LLC. North Country Wellness, LLC, is...

Comprehensive Care expands Texas managed behavioral healthcare contracts.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Comprehensive Care Corporation (CHCR), a company specializing in managed behavioral healthcare and employee assistance services through its operating subsidiaries, announced that each of its three...

Rural healthcare improved with Marshall University working with Walter Reed.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Marshall University has formed a partnership with Walter Reed Army Medical Center to adapt the military's technology for diagnosing and treating chronic illnesses for use in rural areas, Senator Robert...

U.K.'s urgent referral standard hampered by system delays.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The 2-week maximum wait to see a specialist for U.K. patients with suspected colon cancer does not seem to be working well, if the results of one hospital's audit are anything to go by, suggests...

Kryptiq selected by Eastern Maine Healthcare.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Kryptiq Corp. has been selected by Eastern Maine Healthcare (EMH) to provide secure messaging and clinical workflow applications to EMH. In addition, EMH will resell Kryptiq's products throughout...

FullCircle Registry announces rollout of HSAs.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- FullCircle Registry, Inc., (FLCR) announced the rollout of its Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which will complement the healthcare cost containment and administrative plans currently offered by the...

Two new sets of guidelines issued to improve patient safety.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patient safety and specialty training are the focus of two new sets of critical care guidelines developed The American College of Critical Care Medicine and the Society of Critical Care Medicine. ...

BCBS of Massachusetts expands capsule endoscopy reimbursement.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Given Imaging, Ltd., (GIVN) announced that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts has expanded its capsule endoscopy coverage policy to include initial diagnosis in patients with suspected Crohn...

GHI introduces new dental network.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Group Health, Inc., (GHI), a statewide not-for-profit health insurer in New York, has introduced the GHI Preferred Plus dental network to its family of dental offerings. Designed to offer employers...

Insurers will reimburse some expenses for mobility assessment.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Major medical insurance providers, Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Healthcare, will pay up to 70% of the fees charged by Motion DNA Corporation (pinksheets: MOTD) for its diagnostic mobility...

ChartWare electronic records recover near-disaster for family physicians.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The two owners of Greyrock Family Practice of Fort Collins, Colorado, know the misery of buying a poorly designed electronic medical record keeping system. They did it 2 years ago and are still...

ERT poses little recurrence risk for women treated for early-stage disease.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a study conducted over a 5-year period with more than 1,200 women with early-stage endometrial cancer, a team of physicians found that estrogen replacement therapy was associated with a low incidence...

California Central Valley's health lagging behind state average.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Residents of California's Central Valley face some of the most severe health problems in the state, often with no insurance, and little progress has been made to remedy the situation over the past few...

IASIS Healthcare completes acquisition of Nevada hospital.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- IASIS Healthcare Corp. has completed the previously announced acquisition of Lake Mead Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 198-bed hospital was acquired from a subsidiary of Tenet...

California-based managed care company issues 2003 fourth-quarter report.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Managed care company, Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT), announced that 2003 fourth quarter income from operations per diluted share climbed 117% to $.78 compared with $.36 per diluted share restated in the...

Horizon BCBSNJ announces $55M Health Care Affordability Dividend.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) announced plans to distribute $55 million through a one-time Health Care Affordability Dividend. William J. Marino, president and CEO of...

Humana shows improved fourth quarter and year end results.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Humana, Inc., (HUM) reported earnings per diluted share of $.41 for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2003 (4Q03), compared to a $.01 loss per diluted share for the fourth quarter ended December 31,...

Insurer awards grants to help reduce healthcare disparities in Hartford.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aetna (NYSE: AET) has awarded $100,000 in grants to promote cultural competency education and preventive health programs aimed at reducing the disparities in healthcare that exist among Hartford,...

LasikPlus provider reports fourth quarter revenue growth of 56% over prior year.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- LCA-Vision, Inc., (LCAV), a provider of laser vision correction services under the LasikPlus brand, provided guidance on growth in revenues and procedure volume for the fourth quarter of 2003. ...

MedCath Corp. reports first quarter earnings.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MedCath Corp., a national provider of cardiovascular services, announced its operating results for its first quarter ended December 31, 2003. MedCath's net revenue increased 29.3% to $156.6 million...

National Medical Health Card Systems reports 35% increase in net income in Q2.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- National Medical Health Card Systems, Inc., (NMHC), a national independent pharmacy benefit manager doing business as NMHC Rx, reported results for the fiscal second quarter ended December 31, 2003. ...

WellChoice turns profit.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- (Dow Jones/AP),WellChoice, Inc., which operates the Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans in New York state, swung to a profit in the fourth quarter as revenue climbed 7.3% and income tax...

Doctors urged to discuss exercise with patients.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Don't be surprised at your next checkup if the doctor measures your waist and writes a prescription for exercise: They are among the recommendations in a new "call to action" for primary care...

Pennsylvania allows some with criminal records to work in nursing homes.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pennsylvania now allows some people with criminal backgrounds to work in nursing homes and similar institutions because of a state Supreme Court ruling. New guidelines posted last week allow nursing...

MHA signs exclusive deal with NetRx.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Managed Health Care Associates, Inc., (MHA), an alternate-site group purchasing organization, has signed an agreement with NetRx, an aggregator of independent long-term care and assisted-living pharmacy...

Healthy med students make for healthy doctors - and patients.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Medical students who practice healthy habits will probably follow through in counseling their patients to do the same once they become doctors, according to an Emory University School of Medicine...

Hospital system to go tobacco-free.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sister Mary Jean Ryan, the president and CEO of SSM Health Care, knows how hard it is to quit smoking. Her mother smoked for 50 years before giving it up, and Ryan was a smoker, too, before she became a...

Presidential candidate calls for universal health care.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- United States Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said profit should be taken out of the health care industry by replacing private insurance with a single-payer system. He said Americans...

Magellan Health Services announces developments with TennCare contracts.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Magellan Health Services, Inc., (MGLN) announced developments related to its contracts to provide behavioral healthcare services for members of TennCare, the state of Tennessee's health insurance...

Healthcare spending increased to $1.7 trillion in 2003.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Healthcare spending in the United States grew to an estimated $1.7 trillion in 2003, more than $5,800 for every American, but the pace of growth was slower than in recent years. Healthcare also for...

South Dakota hospitals opposed to publishing prices of medical procedures.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Forcing South Dakota hospitals to list prices of common medical procedures would be a step toward management of increasing health-care costs, a state legislator said February 11, 2004. Hospital...

211 Dialing for human services established in 21 Indiana counties.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Residents of 21 Indiana counties can dial 2-1-1 for information on home health care, food pantries, support groups and other services, an eventually the service should be available statewide, officials...

Company introduces new long-term care insurance options.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aetna (NYSE: AET) Group Insurance has added two more major enhancements to its portfolio of group long-term care products - a core-and-buy-up plan for small to mid-sized employers and enhanced informal...

Health advocates question Medicaid rules.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advocates for chronically ill, low-income Texans said February 9, 2004, that new state rules could endanger the health of Medicaid recipients by hampering their access to critical drugs. ...

Health coverage for military retirees would be boosted by bill.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Military retirees who enlisted before December 7, 1956, would receive free health care if legislation introduced by Sens. Tim Johnson, D-South Dakota, and John McCain, R-Arizona, becomes law. Those...

Hospital group backs guidelines for billing uninsured.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The trade group representing New York's 230 not-for-profit hospitals has adopted guidelines for discounted and free medical care to uninsured patients. Instead of billing at full charges, the...

Hundreds rally for children in Washington state.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chants of "Who? Kids! When? Now!" echoed across the Washington state capitol campus as several hundred parents, children and advocates rallied to demand support for health care programs. They're...

Insurance companies oppose expanding Arizona's uninsured health plan.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Some insurance companies claim a push to expand a healthcare plan for uninsured workers in Arizona amounts to unfair competition. Expansion of Arizona's Healthcare Group program "will poach...

Michigan insurer offers gay couples benefits option.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Responding to what it said was customer demand, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is offering coverage to the partners of gays and lesbians who work for small businesses. But the move by...

Missouri bill would cut required insurance coverage.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Insurers in Missouri would no longer be required to cover some services that currently must be provided by minimal health insurance plans, such as mammograms and hospital stays after giving birth, under...

Nearly 10% rate increase for 11,000 customers of Hawaii insurer.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hawaii's largest health insurer is proposing a rate increase that would average 9.6% for more than 11,000 small business customers covered under its most popular plan. If approved by the state...

Oklahoma governor's plan to cover uninsured faces uphill struggle.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry's proposed 52-cent per pack cigarette tax increase may face an uphill struggle in the Oklahoma House, where 25 members have signed a pledge not to vote for a tax increase during...

Possible Medicaid cuts have healthcare providers worried.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- It's like a beehive at Health Centers of New Mexico's Espanola clinic. There's the buzz of overhead intercom calls, alerting and directing workers to phone lines, rooms and patients. Workers...

Proponents make pitch for new hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Supporters of a new hospital in West Des Moines, Iowa, say a new suburban medical center would improve healthcare services in central Iowa. "We really want to help the patients and we really want to...

Rhode Island governor wants state workers to pay part of health coverage.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Rhode Island's Gov. Don Carcieri wants all 15,000 state workers to begin paying part of their health insurance next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2004. He will require about 3,000 nonunion state...

Survey: About 235,000 West Virginia adults don't have health insurance.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The number of West Virginia adults without health insurance has increased by 15,000 to 235,000 in the last 2 years, a new survey says. And about 8% of the state's children went without health...

Texas wrestles with health insurance reform.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Texas Department of Insurance says that healthcare insurance reform appears to be lowering rates for plans intended to make health coverage affordable for more Texans. Insurance Commissioner...

Two Texas counties run out of health funds for poor residents.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two West Texas counties have run out of money to provide health care for poor residents. The counties have sent letters to local physicians informing them that more funds won't be available for 8...

University eyes coal tax to recruit physicians to rural Kentucky.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study by the University of Kentucky Center for Rural Health found that the state needs an additional 600 doctors to meet the healthcare needs of residents. Only 15 counties in Kentucky have...

Colorado lawmakers reject creating watchdog group to review insurance hikes.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Colorado lawmakers have rejected creating a watchdog group to review proposed insurance rate increases, unconvinced it would help make healthcare coverage more affordable for Coloradans. Rep....

Montanans support cigarette tax increase for improving healthcare.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Seven out of 10 Montanans support a more than doubling of the state cigarette tax, so long as the money would be used to improve access to health care, according to poll results released February 9,...

Highmark reduces SecurityBlue and FreedomBlue premiums.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield announced that it will lower premiums for its two managed care plans available to seniors effective March 1, 2004. Members in its Medicare HMO, SecurityBlue and...

Hawaii lawmakers hear universal care proposal.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A proposal to establish universal healthcare in Hawaii is flawed because it doesn't take into account market forces that drive up the cost of healthcare, the state's two largest health insurers told...

Panel: Bulk buying, clearer prices could improve healthcare in Minnesota.
March 1, 2004... 2004 MAR 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- After meeting for more than 3 months, a committee led by former U.S. Sen. David Durenberger on February 6, 2004, offered some broad suggestions and only few specifics for ways to improve Minnesota's...