The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association issued a statement on the US Department of Health and Human Services’ National Summit on Health Care Fraud held in January.

BCBS believes health care fraud is a serious crime and they commend Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder for bringing the summit together.  They bring together private sector stakeholders, law enforcement, Medicare beneficiaries, health insurance companies, and other experts to help combat health care fraud.

Blue Cross Blue Shield companies across the country work together aggressively to discover fraud and educate consumers in an effort to protect them from fraud.  B

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The struggling economy is causing significant issues for many states which provide health plans to assist low-income families.  Many states are being forced to pare back these health insurance programs at the worst possible time…when the number of unemployed Americans continue to rise and people need assistance the most.

The methods by which various states attempt to shave the costs of these programs range from cutting benefits, to freezing new enrollment, to raising the costs that must be picked up by the enrollee.

Among some of the state sponsored low-income health plans that are in trouble include:

• Washington Basic Health – Will fold in July unless $160 Million in additional Revenue.  About 300 Washington residents are added to waiting list each day.
• CoverTN – Tennessee’s state sponsored program.  Halted in December.
• CharterOak Health Plan – Connecticut’s program.  Must freeze enrollment this year unless lawmakers can find more money to keep it open.
• AdultBasic – Pennsylvania’s Program for low income adults.  Increasing fees.  Waiting list doubled in 2009
• General Assistance medical Care Program – Minnesota’s Program will end in March, existing members will be moved over to MinnesotaCare.

Among other viable options for low-income adults who are looking to lower their monthly health insurance costs, while insuring that they will be covered if they fall ill or are in a serious accident, would be to increase the deductible of their existing health plan.  This will keep monthly premiums down, but will require greater out of pocket costs if you should need to utilize medical care.

Health care reform is still a possibility according to the article “State of the Union: Renewed Hope for Health Care Reform?” by Jeffrey H. Toney on blog.nj.com.  This is at least the feel that came from President Obama’s State of the Union address to the nation on Wednesday night.

There needs to be reconciliation between the two bills “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” and the “Affordable Health Care for America Act” and it’s worth the effort.  President Obama pointed out in his speech that the ultimate goal continues to be to lower health insurance quotes, bring down the deficit, get more Americans insured, make Medicare for seniors stronger and stop health insurance company abuses.

President Obama urged Congress to not walk away from the idea of health care reform because they are very close and a solution is in the near future.  He continues to

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Seeking to avert the collapse of major health care legislation, the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress face a crucial decision about whether to use a procedural maneuver that would allow them to advance the bill despite the loss of their 60-vote majority in the Senate.The maneuver, known as budget reconciliation, could allow President Obama and his party to muscle the legislation through Congress with a simple majority vote in the Senate. But it carries numerous risks, including the possibility of a political backlash against what Republicans would be sure to cast as parliamentary trickery.

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If you’re considering individual health insurance coverage, you have to do some comparison shopping to find a plan with the right benefits and price to fit your needs. You’ll find there are many plans available to choose from: lower-cost basic benefit plans, more comprehensive benefit-rich plans, HSA-compatible plans and short-term temporary plans. How do you know what’s right for you?

This is the first of three blog posts focusing on helping you assess your needs so you can make a sound decision. First, you’ll want to answer the question “What health benefits will I use?” so you’ll have an idea of how much coverage you need in a plan.

It helps to break the question down into smaller parts:

• Do I need to utilize PPO network doctors and hospitals?
• How often do I or other covered individuals visit a primary doctor?

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