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Governor Rod Blagojevich and more than 1,500 student nurses rallied in Springfield, Illinois’ capitol city. The nurses joined Blagojevich in urging state senators and representatives to pass the governor’s Illinois Covered Plan, which would provide health insurance for 1.4 million Illinois residents.

Governor Blagojevich spoke to the student nurses, calling them the “future of the healthcare system in Illinois.”

“The best nurses in the world can’t undo the damage done when an uninsured person has to wait until a health problem becomes a major health crisis just to seek out care,” the governor told his audience.

“Your experiences and your knowledge of the challenges the uninsured in our state face will be critical in helping lawmakers understand why passing the Illinois Covered Plan should be our top priority this legislative session,” he continued.

The Illinois Nurses Association (INA) is in full support of Blagojevich’s plan. Each year they organize a lobby day to ensure that state lawmakers hear the voices and concerns of Illinois nurses.

“The Illinois Nurses Association is a proud advocate of the governor’s plan. As front-line care givers in various practice settings, nurses witness first-hand the crisis in healthcare for the underserved. INA has a long-standing policy position that healthcare is a right for all people, ” said INA Chair of the Government Relations Committee, Mildred Taylor.

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Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has a plan to help thousands of diabetics live healthier.

Rendell is calling his proposal the Prescription for Pennsylvania. The program will include regional cooperatives with team-based care and specialized providers, along with trained health coaches. His plan will also push for more efficient methods of information sharing among doctors and specialists, and will try to restructure the reimbursement system to help fund chronic-care programs.

“The beauty of the cost-savings initiatives in ‘Prescription for Pennsylvania’ is that they will save money and at the same time improve the quality and the caliber of the health care every Pennsylvanian gets,” said Governor Rendell.

Each year tens of thousands of patients are hospitalized for diabetes-related complications in Pennsylvania, adding up to almost $2 billion in healthcare costs. The Prescription plan will help diabetics take important preventive measures that will help keep them out of the hospital.

“What is beginning to happen in Pennsylvania is very important nationally,” said Ed Wagner, director of the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation in Seattle.“ [It’s] an exciting opportunity

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A study in the Journal of the Society of General Internal Medicine has found that people without health insurance have a greater risk of stroke.

The link of health insurance and stroke is preventive care. People that do not have health insurance are much less likely to receive routine check-ups and physicals. As a result, they may not be properly treated for risk factors that can lead to a stroke, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

According to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the national average cost for doctor’s office visits without insurance is $60.

“Hypertension [high blood pressure] is the most powerful risk factor for stroke, and in our study we found that hypertension was significantly less likely to be well controlled in those lacking insurance,“ said Harvard Medical School instructor, Angela Fowler-Brown, MD, MPH.

“We believe that our findings underscore the great importance of medical insurance in maintaining the health of the population,” Dr. Fowler Brown added. “As medical science continues to advance, we fear that the health disparities between those who have access to medical care through insurance and those who do not, may continue to grow.”

The study was conducted using a database of 15,792 people.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human services are set to launch a nationwide campaign to promote senior health.

Called A Healthier US Starts Here, the national initiative will tour the country this spring and summer, hitting all 48 states in the continental U.S. The campaign will help educate senior citizens about the preventive care services that Medicare provides.

“Preventive health care can help people live healthier lives and can help reduce costs associated with treating chronic disease,” said of Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt.

It will focus on disease prevention, awareness, and healthy living.

“From Seattle to Miami and Boston to San Diego, A Healthier US Starts Here will enlist the support of local organizations to help Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans learn how to live longer, healthier, and happier lives,” added Leavitt.

“Many beneficiaries are unaware that Medicare covers preventive screenings and other benefits, sometimes at no cost. New demands will be placed on the Medicare system as vast numbers of baby boomers begin reaching Medicare eligibility.” said CMS Administrator Leslie V. Norwalk.

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State Farm announced they will drop auto insurance premiums an average of 6 percent in Illinois and 4 percent in Georgia. Illinois drivers will save roughly $97 million in total, while Georgia drivers will save around $44 million.

Individual savings will be determined based on factors such as driving record, place of residence, and specifics about the insured car.

The reduction of auto insurance rates is partly because of a more competitive marketplace, but is largely a result of fewer claims and billion-dollar profits in 2006. In Illinois, State Farm reported a $5.32 billion profit — up by almost $2 billion from 2005.

“We’re seeing fewer accidents, and that’s good news,” said president of the Insurance Information Institute, Robert Hartwig. “Ultimately, that is going to benefit customers as we pass along those savings.”

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The Maryland House of Delegates passed a healthcare bill to expand coverage to 100,000 residents. The measure will soon go to the state Senate for approval.

The bill’s main goal is to expand accessibility for Medicaid to more children and adults. It would quadruple the maximum allowable income for Medicaid eligibility to $82,800 per year for families of four. And families above that income line would be able to “buy into” Medicaid. For individuals, the income cap would be tripled to $12,000 per year.

To help fund the program, the legislation calls for a $1 increase in the tobacco tax.

There are roughly 800,000 uninsured Maryland residents It’s estimated 50,000 more could go without health coverage in the next year.

“We need to take immediate action,” said House Speaker Michael E. Busch.

Even though the bill easily passed in a vote of 102 – 37, the voting was mostly along party lines. And the legislation is expected to be a hard sell for the Senate, where many senators oppose increasing tobacco tax and expanding the state’s budget.

“[The bill is] not fiscally responsible,” said Senate President Thomas Miller. “It’s like building an addition on your house when you can’t even pay your mortgage.”

Maryland is looking at a billion dollar shortfall for social programs in the coming year.

“This is the time that we should be curtailing spending rather than approving a massive new entitlement program,” added House Delegate Christopher Shank.

But insurance is unaffordable to many people who fall in the gap between Medicaid eligibility and being able to afford private health insurance — and it’s costing the state a lot of money.

Maryland currently reimburses hospitals for the care of uninsured patients, costing the state $800 million a year and raising health plan premiums roughly $1,000 a year. Residents who have coverage wind up paying for the care of the uninsured through the higher premiums.

Lawmakers in support of the bill are willing to compromise to get the legislation passed to help solve this problem.

“We’re open to everything the Senate determines if they have the political will to debate, ” said Busch.

“Why wait? Let’s act now. This is a problem that’s not going to get better. It’s only going to get worse,” said the measure’s chief author, Delegate Peter A. Hammen.

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A new survey by the National Business Group on Health found that 75% of workers rank health insurance as the most important benefit offered by employers.

The survey also found that workers are unwilling to trade health benefits for other benefits, such as retirement savings plans. Workers were in favor of charging smokers more for health benefits, but were generally against charging obese people more for benefits.

A majority of workers — 67% — also considered their current health plan to be “excellent” or “very good.” Among the qualities workers value in their plans:

• Easy plan management
• Freedom to choose care providers
• Cost limits on care and prescription drugs

“Providing cost-effective, high quality health care benefits to workers and their families is one of the greatest challenges that Corporate America is facing,” said National Business Group on Health president Helen Darling. “Employers are spending millions and millions of dollars to provide health care benefits, and we hope the results of this survey will give them valuable insight from employees and help them develop and design programs that best meet their overall needs.”

The survey was conducted online, and included 1,619 randomly selected workers. At the time of the survey, every included worker was between 22 and 69 years of age, and was employed by a company with at least 2,500 employees. The survey’s margin of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

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A study by pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts has found that many patients required to pay for their prescriptions stopped taking their medications entirely.

The study looked at patients in high-deductible plans, many of which do not offer drug coverage. Patients are encouraged to switch to the less expensive generic versions of popular drugs.

“That deductible makes people buy fewer drugs, that's the key finding here,” said Express Scripts vice president Glenn Moller.

The study compiled prescription drug claims for two large employees that began offering high-deductible plans at the beginning of 2006. Claims from the first 9 months of 2006 were then compared to claims from the same period in 2005.

The employees also paid a higher percentage of their drug costs in 2006, resulting in fewer prescriptions being filled. One of the employer’s costs for employee prescription benefits was reduced by 62%. The other employer’s costs were reduced by 24%.

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The Delaware Senate has passed legislation to create a health insurance pool for small businesses and moderate-level income individuals. The bill passed with an overwhelming approval in a 17-1 vote.

The pool is thought to help bring down costs for both small businesses and individuals who have difficulty affording health insurance. Policyholders will save an estimated 10% to 30% per year.

The bill is set to move to the House, where it faces an uphill battle. Similar legislation was not approved just last year. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware also opposes the bill.

“Clearly, it has one very influential opponent. There will be some intensive lobbying,” said Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn. “But I'm optimistic about our chances in the House.”

The vice president of BCBS of Delaware, William E. Kirk III, said his company was in favor of creating a program to subsidize help for individuals and small business to buy health insurance.

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California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger drafted a healthcare proposal that would require all residents to purchase health insurance. His proposal would increase government subsidies and expand health insurance programs. Now, Schwarzenegger is thinking about adding penalties for residents who don’t buy health insurance.

Under the proposed law, residents who don’t purchase health insurance will be automatically enrolled in a plan and fined a penalty until they pay for the premiums themselves.

Governor Schwarzenegger is considering the penalty to help enforce the health insurance mandate. To track down residents without health plans, he’s looking into models used by the Department of Motor Vehicles to find drivers without auto insurance, and the state tracking system that finds people who aren’t paying their child support.

Schwarzenegger is citing research from the think tank New America Foundation to model his plan, reports the Los Angeles Times.

“Most people are going to have insurance if the program is well designed and well constructed,“ said Peter Harbage, who is the senior program associate at the New America Foundation. “And then you’re going to have some people who are bad actors, and that’s where you need some sort of tracking system.”

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A new Rhode Island law requires all hospitals in the state to offer healthcare free of charge for any uninsured patient earning less than 200% of the Federal poverty line (just over $20,000).

“We think we have the most progressive charity care regulations in the nation,” said Rhode Island deputy director of health William J. Waters. “We think we’re the national benchmark.”

All Rhode Island hospitals are non-profit organizations, and already provide millions of dollars in free healthcare. Lawmakers hope the new rules will make it easier for the uninsured to navigate the healthcare system.

In addition to mandating free care, the new rules also:

• Require a sliding-scale fee system be used to bill people earning between 200% – 300% of the Federal poverty level
• Forbid hospitals from foreclosing on a patient’s house if a medical bill goes unpaid
• Provide a “asset protection threshold.” If a patients assets exceed that threshold, the hospital may charge for care — but the charge must equal the best price offered to insurance companies

“Hospitals are free to do more,” added Waters. “We know for a fact that there are hospitals that will do more.”

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Last year General Motors spent $4,800,000,000 on healthcare for 1.1 million employees, retirees, and dependents — equal to about $4364 apiece. And as GM tries to become more competitive in the auto market, healthcare is one of the places it’s looking to cut costs.

“Based on the magnitude of the cost, health care will continue to be a discussion issue for GM and the [United Auto Workers Union],” said Dan Flores, a GM spokesman.

Not a chance, says UAW president Ron Gettelfinger. “We addressed healthcare in ‘05,” referring to an agreement that allowed GM and Ford to start charging hourly employees for some of their health benefits. “You don't get two bites at the apple, do you?”

Some experts have suggested solving the issue by creating a UAW trust fund that would pay retiree benefits, instead of leaving GM to pay those benefits.

Gettelfinger and automotive executives have also publicly called for a government-sponsored universal healthcare program — a solution that would remove employers’ obligation to provide need to provide health coverage entirely.

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Maine Governor John Baldacci laid out a detailed plan to move his state towards universal healthcare. The plan includes a package of proposals that would eventually require all Maine residents to have health insurance.

One of Baldacci’s proposals would require all individuals with incomes over 400% of the Federal poverty level — about $39,000 — to purchase health insurance. Employers will also be required to provide health insurance for their workforce or pay a penalty that would fund state-subsidized coverage.

Another proposal includes an overhaul of their Medicaid program, MaineCare. Baldacci wants to begin a large reform of the program through stimulating private insurance competition and the growth of their state-subsidized DirigoChoice health plan, reported the Bangor Daily News and the Associated Press.

Baldacci will urge residents who can afford private health insurance to buy in the private market, instead of applying for state subsidized coverage.

Baldacci’s package of proposals is receiving mixed reactions, and the governor and his cabinet are aware that it will be difficult to appeal to all groups.

“We’ve been in a polarized, ideological war,” said director of the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance, Trish Riley. “[But] it’s time to incorporate all these ideas in order to make unsubsidized coverage more affordable and keep the Dirigo program strong.”

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Frank N. Darras, one of the United States’ most prominent disability lawyers, has issued a statement in support of presidential candidate Barack Obama’s recent comments on the state of long-term care.

“Barack Obama has it right, and it is encouraging to see a presidential candidate focusing on truly helping hard working senior Americans,” says Darras.

Obama said in a pres release that “it's about time Washington stood up to insurance companies so that families and seniors across the country can get the care they deserve.” Obama’s comments come on the heels of a recent New York Times article about senior citizens who purchased long-term care policies, only to face denied claims and bureaucratic red tape when they needed the coverage those policies were supposed to provide.

“It is a shame, plain and simple,” says Darras, “and a fraud against the folks who don't have any fight left in them.”

“Your surest bet,” continues Darras, “know the claim paying history and how often the carrier has sought rate increases in your state. Get reliable competent advice and a sound second opinion from someone you trust before you shell out those hard earned premiums. Understand how your policy works and make sure when you file your claim, you don't give up till you get paid.”

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Independence Blue Cross of Philadelphia and Highmark Incorporated of Pittsburg have announced their intention to merge, a move that would create the third-largest health insurer in the country. The two non-profit companies said the merger would help reduce many costs, saving members millions of dollars.

“By combining our two organizations, we will be better able to maintain affordable programs, meet shifting customer demands for new products and fund essential technological and infrastructure improvements in the face of challenges from much larger, for-profit out-of-state health insurance companies,” said president and chief executive of Independence Blue Cross, Joseph Frick.

The proposed merger has made some insurance brokers wary. The merger could increase costs, hurt competition, create more administrative work, shift focus away from customer service, and have a negative impact on their business.

If the two insurers are allowed to merge, barring federal and state approval, they would control more than half of Pennsylvania’s health insurance market.

One particular concern that brokers have is the disparity between the two companies’ methods of compensation.

Independence Blue Cross pays brokers and agencies a percentage of a policyholder’s premiums — the higher the premium, the higher the percentage paid to agents. Highmark pays a flat rate to agents, regardless of the premium.

“There’s a movement to go that way [in the insurance business], and that may be the cause of the uneasiness,” said president of Brown & Brown Consulting, Robert Cola.

Brokers are worried if the flat rate policy is adopted, the fees would have to be negotiated and the merged company would be in better position to set the fees lower, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

But Cola acknowledges that brokers’ concerns may not be anything to worry about.

“I think there is a fear of change,” Cola said. “But I think, at the end of the day, it will be somewhat of a non-event.”

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