Thus far, the 2015-16 winter season has been reasonably mild across the country. The warmer weather is causing a delay in the start of flu season — which, while beneficial for health insurers, isn't helping hospitals, according to Bloomberg Business.
Public Health
The following insurers made headlines over the past three weeks. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent.
Although South Carolina has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the increase in Medicaid enrollees has caused the state program to need additional funds, according to The Post and Courier.
A recent study found only 10 percent of Medicaid members who smoke — or 830,000 people — received medication to help them quit in 2013, according to NPR.
More people are choosing critical illness plans to shore up gaps in their high deductible coverage, according to Minnesota Public Radio.
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Arkansas' current Medicaid expansion program may have some additional changes in the coming year, according to THV11.com.
New York is the first state in the U.S. to make pregnancy a "qualifying life event," allowing pregnant women to enroll in health insurance at any time through the state health exchange, rather than just during the three-month annual enrollment…
The Massachusetts Association of Health Plans and the Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative are launching a new program to ensure individuals seeking substance-abuse services get the level of care they need, according to Boston.com.
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R)'s Alabama Health Care Improvement Task Force approved a recommendation to find a way to provide health insurance coverage for uninsured Alabamans, according to AL.com.
Emergency department utilization in Massachusetts related to behavioral health conditions is on the rise, according to the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission's 2015 Cost Trend Report.