MetLife is the latest to settle with New York Attorney General Spitzer for its use of contingent commissions. With UnumProvident and Prudential Financial already paying millions in fines and restitution to customers, MetLife will now pay $16.5 million to policyholders and $2.5 million in New York penalties.What...
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Why is Health Care Cost Trend So Low?
In my last two posts (below) I pointed out that commercial medical cost trend has been reported to be as low as 5.5% to 6% with most employers reporting 2007 increases in the 7% to 8% range.While employer trend rates are at this level, health plans are reporting even lower internal trend rates with...
HMOs Better Negotiators Than Employers for 2007
"Benefit consultants and brokers are reporting that medical trend rates are continuing to fall - to the 7% to 8% range - while health plans are reporting that their actual costs are trending as low as 5.5% to 6.5%."That's the lead in an article I wrote that was published in this month's issue of Employee...
Cost Trend..How Low Will it Go?
Health Care Cost TrendsLast month I asked, just how low will medical cost trend go?Apparently, still lower.Health care cost trends have been falling for a number of years since peaking in 2002 at around 14%. Recent reports have annual commercial health plan trend as low as 5.5% to 6.5% in a few places.The...
The 2007 Congressional Health Policy Agenda
The Congressional Agenda—Old BusinessThe current Congress is leaving a lot of work undone:• A Health Information Technology (HIT) Bill – The old Congress will not be able to complete work on the House and Senate versions of a HIT bill. Before the election, they had hoped to be able to finish it during...
Part D Profits––Not Yet the Great Results the Industry Hoped For
Part D—Some Results Starting to Come InTo say the Part D business has been controversial this year would certainly be an understatement. It’s not news that many in the industry have questioned its sustainability as a business—including me.During 2006, the profitability data hasn’t been credible. In...
The Democrats Will Change MedicareAdvantage
So, Now What?Most observers don’t think the Democratic takeover will end up meaning a lot. It takes 60 votes do get anything done in the Senate, there is still a Republican presidential veto to contend with, and Democrats would be foolish to rollback the Republican tax cuts or repeal programs like...
Why the Republicans Lost
After six years of one-party government, things here in Washington were getting kind of boring.That’s already started to change.The November ElectionIn past years, I have told you that the chances the Democrats could capture the House of Representatives were low because of all the highly political...
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