"Better Late" Update

Last week, I wrote about North Carolina's new high risk insurance pool. While I liked the plan overall, I did have some reservations about some key features.

Turns out, Colorado's had a similar plan in place for almost 2 decades, and experienced fewer of the problems I mentioned than one might imagine. Louise Norris, co-blogging at Colorado Health Insurance Insider, has the full story, as well as some observations and suggestions for her Tar Heel State colleagues.

Do check it out.

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"Better Late" Update

Last week, I wrote about North Carolina's new high risk insurance pool. While I liked the plan overall, I did have some reservations about some key features.

Turns out, Colorado's had a similar plan in place for almost 2 decades, and experienced fewer of the problems I mentioned than one might imagine. Louise Norris, co-blogging at Colorado Health Insurance Insider, has the full story, as well as some observations and suggestions for her Tar Heel State colleagues.

Do check it out.

Read More

MVNHS© vs AARP

Okay, not really the AARP (that's an American thing), but ailing English seniors in general. The MVNHS© (Britain's "Much Vaunted" National Health Service) has taken aim - again - at its seasoned citizens, opting to deny them needed health care:

"[O]lder people will be left vulnerable to discrimination and could miss out on life-saving treatment in favour of younger patients."

Seems that Parliament was considering new legislation that would ban health care discrimination based on age. But that's now on hold for at least another year and a half, leaving elder Britons without protection against the kinds of shenanigans for which the MVNHS is so famous. In a move reminiscent of our own brilliant governing class, the "Minister of State for Care Services said the Government will set up an advisory group to look at the issues around age discrimination in health and social care."

But of course: a committee!

And also of course, said committee will use the next 18 months to study the issue, and then (perhaps) issue some guidelines and/or recommendations, which may or may not be implemented some time iin the hazy, distant future.

Which doesn't do sickly seniors much good [ed: maybe that's the point?]

I'll leave the last word to His Right Honorable Phil Hope (the aforementioned Minister), who provides the most authentic example of genuine gummint-speak we've seen in quite a while:

"The Government will undertake consultation on possible exceptions to the ban on harmful age discrimination (in health and social care) taking account of the findings of the advisory group when it has completed its work."

Couldn't have said it better myself, Gabby.

Read More

MVNHS© vs AARP

Okay, not really the AARP (that's an American thing), but ailing English seniors in general. The MVNHS© (Britain's "Much Vaunted" National Health Service) has taken aim - again - at its seasoned citizens, opting to deny them needed health care:

"[O]lder people will be left vulnerable to discrimination and could miss out on life-saving treatment in favour of younger patients."

Seems that Parliament was considering new legislation that would ban health care discrimination based on age. But that's now on hold for at least another year and a half, leaving elder Britons without protection against the kinds of shenanigans for which the MVNHS is so famous. In a move reminiscent of our own brilliant governing class, the "Minister of State for Care Services said the Government will set up an advisory group to look at the issues around age discrimination in health and social care."

But of course: a committee!

And also of course, said committee will use the next 18 months to study the issue, and then (perhaps) issue some guidelines and/or recommendations, which may or may not be implemented some time iin the hazy, distant future.

Which doesn't do sickly seniors much good [ed: maybe that's the point?]

I'll leave the last word to His Right Honorable Phil Hope (the aforementioned Minister), who provides the most authentic example of genuine gummint-speak we've seen in quite a while:

"The Government will undertake consultation on possible exceptions to the ban on harmful age discrimination (in health and social care) taking account of the findings of the advisory group when it has completed its work."

Couldn't have said it better myself, Gabby.

Read More

Video Bonus Round!

Aside from passing references, we haven't written much on Humana. Perhaps that's because they've been relatively well-behaved, and thus stayed out of our sights. That may be a good thing, and this definitely is: Humana's launched a new PR drive to help educate the public about ways we can help control health care costs. As regular readers know, this is key to holding down health insurance costs. The carrier's rolling out a series of 10 educational videos "designed to deliver guidance, and to support awareness and understanding of the healthcare industry."

The first one is entitled "Why is Healthcare So Expensive?" Since we've recently done several posts on this very topic (here and here, for example), this seems quite the timely addition:

We'd be very interested in any feedback on this, especially whether our readers found it interesting and/or helpful, and whether we should continue to post them as they come out.

Read More

Video Bonus Round!

Aside from passing references, we haven't written much on Humana. Perhaps that's because they've been relatively well-behaved, and thus stayed out of our sights. That may be a good thing, and this definitely is: Humana's launched a new PR drive to help educate the public about ways we can help control health care costs. As regular readers know, this is key to holding down health insurance costs. The carrier's rolling out a series of 10 educational videos "designed to deliver guidance, and to support awareness and understanding of the healthcare industry."

The first one is entitled "Why is Healthcare So Expensive?" Since we've recently done several posts on this very topic (here and here, for example), this seems quite the timely addition:

We'd be very interested in any feedback on this, especially whether our readers found it interesting and/or helpful, and whether we should continue to post them as they come out.

Read More