Health Exchange: Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

The State Senate concluded its session in late June without taking action on legislation to set the implementation of a NY Health Exchange in motion. They are not set to return to Albany until late September at the earliest. The absence of a governance structure and statutory authorit
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Health insurance exchange framework finalized

Early this morning, negotiations concluded on the framework for the establishment of New York’s Health Exchange.  An analysis of the agreed-upon bill, which is expected to pass both houses of the Legislature today, can be found here. Significantly, this agreed-upon bill preserves t
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Business Council opposed to bill that permits physicians to collectively bargain

The Business Council of New York State opposes this legislation which would permit health care providers, including physicians, to form unions for the purpose of collectively bargaining with health plans. At a time when changes resulting from implementation of the federal Affordable C
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Insurance customers using mobile devices to file claims

Business Council member The Travelers reports a large increase in insurance customers filing claims from mobile devices. The Travelers study broadly examined insurance claims filed over the past 16 months using mobile devices. In reviewing claims data comparing the first four months o
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Governor submits bill for health-care exchange

Cara Matthews writes on Lohud.com – “Gov. Andrew Cuomo submitted legislation Monday that would set up a health-care exchange to comply with the federal Affordable Care Act. Like Senate Republicans’ bill, which came out last week, the governor’s bill would set u
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Small business wary on health insurance exchange

Judith Messina writes in Crain’s New York Business (subscription-based) – “In the three years that Elizabeth Crowell has offered health insurance to employees at her Brooklyn antiques shops, she’s weathered two rate hikes, of 20% and 25%, on her Empire Blue Cro
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Senate issues health-exchange bill, Business Council approves

“Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon, R-Nassau County, and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman James Seward, R-Milford, Otsego County, announced this morning that they have introduced legislation that would set up New York’s health-insurance exchange, a requirement un
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Excellus BCBS issues facts about the costs of medical malpractice coverage

“Medical malpractice premiums for physicians in different regions of the state can vary as much as five times the amount paid between regions and the difference can exceed $100,000 for some specialties, according to an analysis issued today by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.̶
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Health care prices in New York City skyrocket

An article in the Daily News, authored by Ken Lovett, discusses soaring premium rates: “For city residents forced to buy their own health insurance, President Obama’s sweeping health care law can’t take effect soon enough. Premium rates for personally funded HMOs soa
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Health exchanges: applying lessons

In Crain’s New York, Vincent Ashton discusses the health insurance exchange: “The failures of the state’s individual, sole proprietor and small group markets have produced competing recommendations, many of which address the needs of one group at the expense of anoth
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