Monthly Archive for September, 2010

Selling health insurance to children under 19

By Pam MacEwan

The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) announced yesterday that Regence intends to stop selling new policies for children under the age of 19, beginning October 1.

Group Health intends to continue to offer individual coverage to persons under the age of 19. We are currently working with the OIC, other carriers in the state, and the federal office of Health and Human Services on solutions that will work for Washington families. Continue reading ‘Selling health insurance to children under 19′

Published on September 29, 2010 in Access to care and Health Care Reform. 3 Comments Tags: , .

Transformative research demands courage to ask tough questions

By Eric Larson, MD, MPH

The New England Journal of Medicine published a remarkable study on palliative care last month. Massachusetts General Hospital researchers compared two groups of patients, all recently diagnosed with a deadly lung cancer. One group received standard cancer care, with palliative care given only if requested by the patient, family, or oncologist. For the second group, the care started with a palliative care approach. As expected, the second group ended up getting less aggressive treatment. They also experienced better quality of life and less depression. And here’s the surprise: The same group ended up living, on average, nearly three months longer.

Continue reading ‘Transformative research demands courage to ask tough questions’

Published on September 28, 2010 in Health Care Reform and Quality Health Care. 4 Comments Tags: , , .

Group Health sees a big jump in NCQA private plan rankings

By Michael Soman, MD

Group Health is one of the highest rated health plans and among the top 50 in the nation, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2010-2011—Private.

The rankings combine quality of care, customer satisfaction, and accreditation scores, comparing more than 227 private plans across the nation. They are available online at NCQA’s Web site at http://www.ncqa.org/tabid/1243/Default.aspx.  Continue reading ‘Group Health sees a big jump in NCQA private plan rankings’

Published on September 24, 2010 in Health Care Reform and Quality Health Care. 0 Comments Tags: .

A new era for access to health insurance

By Megan Howell

The dawn of a new age in health insurance breaks tomorrow (September 23, 2010) when the first requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) go into effect, six months after the enactment of the new law.

Since most of the provisions in the reform law do not take effect until 2014, the intention of these new rules is to ensure individuals have adequate health coverage in the short-term, until the PPACA is fully implemented. Most consumers will see these changes as their plans renew next year. Continue reading ‘A new era for access to health insurance’

Published on September 22, 2010 in Access to care and Health Care Reform. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

Revised interpretation increases benefits

By Megan Howell

 One of the challenges of implementing health care reform is interpreting how new federal rules should be applied. In Washington state the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) plays a key role in managing the impact of the new rules so as to maintain the stability of the insurance industry and the availability of high quality affordable health care coverage.

On September 10, the OIC made a re-interpretation of federal intentions to lift annual and lifetime limits on some “essential benefits.” Prior to the shift the OIC had guided insurance companies to maintain limits on some benefits such as transplants, pharmacy benefits, medical equipment, prosthetics and chemical dependency in order to maintain the affordability of health insurance in Washington state. Continue reading ‘Revised interpretation increases benefits’

Published on September 16, 2010 in Health Care Reform. 0 Comments

Group Health opposes repealing tax on candy and soda pop

By Pam MacEwan

The Group Health Board of Trustees recently took a position to oppose Initiative 1107 (I-1107), which would repeal taxes on certain non-essential items such as candy, gum, soda pop, and bottled water. The measure will appear on the November ballot and is in response to new tax laws that the Washington State Legislature passed in 2010.  Continue reading ‘Group Health opposes repealing tax on candy and soda pop’

Published on September 13, 2010 in Access to care and Health Care Reform. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Innovation is where we shine

By Michael Soman, MD

I am very excited to share that the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) has honored our work with its 2010 Acclaim Award. This acknowledgement is especially meaningful because it goes well beyond typical awards for individual improvement projects. The Acclaim Award is about delivery system transformation. It’s a huge validation for a broad, dramatic body of innovative work spanning many years. So before I go any further, I want to say thank you, and well done to my colleagues!  Continue reading ‘Innovation is where we shine’

Published on September 8, 2010 in Health Care Reform and Quality Health Care. 4 Comments Tags: , .

Group Health to lead state health care reform pilots

By Scott Armstrong

The Washington State Health Care Authority has chosen Group Health Cooperative to lead pilot projects to improve health care quality for Washingtonians. Group Health will lead an effort to bring a variety of health care providers from primary care doctors and physical therapists to surgeons and hospitals into an organized group that is collectively responsible for the health of each patient. This model of integrated care is one that has guided Group Health since its founding in 1947. Continue reading ‘Group Health to lead state health care reform pilots’

Published on September 2, 2010 in Accountable Care Organization and Health Care Reform. 1 Comment Tags: , .