12/25/2008 News For: Low Cost Health Plans Vt VermontLow-cost clinic's financial health needs a booster shot Staff ?members at the Community Health Centers of Pinellas see evidence of the bad economy on a daily basis. More people are coming in who have lost their jobs and their health insurance. Kaiser donates $50,000 to Health Express for transportation to doctor appointments Kaiser Permanente recently donated $50,000 to Auburn-based Health Express to expand its free and low-cost transportation services for patients who don't have access to reliable and affordable transportation to and from their medical appointments. A project of the nonprofit Placer Collaborative Network and Seniors First, the Health Express program was launched late last year to serve western ... Massachusetts Health Officials Approve Guidelines For Subsidized Health Plans That Are Intended To Drive Down Costs The Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Authority Board on Saturday approved guidelines for contracts with managed care companies that include incentives for cutting costs and patient-protection provisions, the Boston Globe reports. The guidelines will apply to state-subsidized Commonwealth Care health plans, which cover 162,000 residents whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid. Aetna Offers Reduced Rates on New Health Plans for Small NYC Employers -- Starting at $243 Month NEW YORK----Small employers in New York City take note: Aetna has lowered the rates on its NYC Community Plan which offers comprehensive health benefit plan options for your employees starting as low as $243 a month. Mich. chooses prison health company, angers foes LANSING, Mich. ? Michigan is hiring a new company to treat state prisoners with medical problems after investigators criticized the existing health provider for low productivity and not having enough doctors. Pennsylvania gov's top health care aide to leave HARRISBURG ? The director of Gov. Ed Rendell's efforts to expand health insurance to low-income children and adults, help doctors pay their malpractice bills and modernize Pennsylvania's health care system is stepping down. Low risk to public health from Southdown fire Auckland Medical Officer of Health, Dr Denise Barnfather, says the risks to the public remain very low from the fire at the Southdown freezing works site. SCAN Arizona Takes Leading Role in Formation of the New Arizona Association of Health Plans SCAN Health Plan Arizona has joined with six other Arizona health insurers to form the Arizona Association of Health Plans, Inc. The association will work to ensure that health care in Arizona remains affordable, accessible and available. Two Madison-area companies are eliminating health benefit subsidies for retirees Two Madison-area insurance companies are eliminating health benefit subsidies for retirees next year. CUNA Mutual Group of Madison plans to end its subsidy for retiree medical benefits on Jan. 1. General Casualty of Sun Prairie, a subsidiary of QBE, will end its retiree medical program in June. About 1,000 CUNA Mutual retirees will be affected by the decision, said Rick Uhlmann, senior manager ... NIH Study Examines How Breastfeeding Impacts The Cost Of Health Care For Very Low Birth Weight Infants The National Institutes of Health NIH has awarded nearly $3 million to support Rush University Medical Center's study analyzing how human breast milk impacts the health outcomes and health care cost savings for very low birth weight infants - babies less than 1500 grams. |




