Comments on: SCHIP Health Insurance for America’s Children http://www.healthinsuranceblogs.net/schip-program-for-americas-children/ A health insurance blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:31:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: dan dunlop http://www.healthinsuranceblogs.net/schip-program-for-americas-children/#comment-138 dan dunlop Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:13:43 +0000 http://www.healthinsuranceblogs.net/?p=138#comment-138 I’d love to have your thoughts on the current battle going on in Boston between Tufts Medical Center and BCBS of Massachusetts. BCBSMA reimburses Partners Hospitals physicians (a competitor of Tufts with size and clout) as much as 40% more than Tufts physicians, for the same procedures. When BCBS failed to met Tufts in the middle (Tufts asked for reimbursement rates that were equivalent to the average that BCBS pays academic medical centers in the Commonwealth) negotiations fell apart. Tufts is an inner city hospital that handles the toughest, sickest cases. Over the last five years, it has lost $25 million on its Blue Cross Blue Shield business. It is just struggling to survive. Meanwhile BCBSMA made $209 million in net income in 2007 (the last year we have numbers for) on $6.7 billion in premiums. That same year they paid their President and CEO $3.6 million in total compensation. The prior year (2006) BCBSMA chairman and CEO William Van Faasen was paid more than $16 million as part of his overall retirement package in 2006. So they don’t mind compensating their own executives richly, just not the docs who work at smaller, inner city hospitals like Tufts! Our system is seriously broken when health insurance companies and their executives get rich while hospitals go broke trying to meet the healthcare needs of the underserved populations within our cities. For reference, the battle has been covered in The Boston Globe. Tufts has started a website with information for their patients about their choices as this struggle continues. The website can be found at http://www.keepmydoc.org. I’d love to have your thoughts on the current battle going on in Boston between Tufts Medical Center and BCBS of Massachusetts. BCBSMA reimburses Partners Hospitals physicians (a competitor of Tufts with size and clout) as much as 40% more than Tufts physicians, for the same procedures. When BCBS failed to met Tufts in the middle (Tufts asked for reimbursement rates that were equivalent to the average that BCBS pays academic medical centers in the Commonwealth) negotiations fell apart.

Tufts is an inner city hospital that handles the toughest, sickest cases. Over the last five years, it has lost $25 million on its Blue Cross Blue Shield business. It is just struggling to survive. Meanwhile BCBSMA made $209 million in net income in 2007 (the last year we have numbers for) on $6.7 billion in premiums. That same year they paid their President and CEO $3.6 million in total compensation. The prior year (2006) BCBSMA chairman and CEO William Van Faasen was paid more than $16 million as part of his overall retirement package in 2006. So they don’t mind compensating their own executives richly, just not the docs who work at smaller, inner city hospitals like Tufts!

Our system is seriously broken when health insurance companies and their executives get rich while hospitals go broke trying to meet the healthcare needs of the underserved populations within our cities.

For reference, the battle has been covered in The Boston Globe. Tufts has started a website with information for their patients about their choices as this struggle continues. The website can be found at http://www.keepmydoc.org.

]]> By: Kirsten http://www.healthinsuranceblogs.net/schip-program-for-americas-children/#comment-136 Kirsten Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:52:32 +0000 http://www.healthinsuranceblogs.net/?p=138#comment-136 Well all I can say is that these types of plans need better monitoring or else it really doesn't make sense to have them in place. There are so many 1099 individuals out there who write everything off just to show a low income but they do reallly have the money to buy regular insurance and we should not be paying for these greedy people to get free insurance for their kids. Well all I can say is that these types of plans need better monitoring or else it really doesn’t make sense to have them in place. There are so many 1099 individuals out there who write everything off just to show a low income but they do reallly have the money to buy regular insurance and we should not be paying for these greedy people to get free insurance for their kids.

]]> By: Bud L http://www.healthinsuranceblogs.net/schip-program-for-americas-children/#comment-135 Bud L Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:43:05 +0000 http://www.healthinsuranceblogs.net/?p=138#comment-135 Obama (and Congress - he does not do it single-handedly) will increase funding for the program and raise the family income criteria to qualify (something Bush would not do) for benefits. Obama (and Congress - he does not do it single-handedly) will increase funding for the program and raise the family income criteria to qualify (something Bush would not do) for benefits.

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