12/25/2008 News For: Cinergy Health Health plansMassachusetts 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. Health Highlights: Dec. 24, 2008 Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: 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 ... Job cuts planned for UT Health Science Center The University of Tennessee Health Science Center plans to cut as many as 200 jobs next year. UT employs about 1,100 faculty members as well as 2,000 staffers in Memphis. The health science center also operates medical training facilities in Chattanooga and Knoxville. Sharia-compliant health insurance plan launched in UAE Dubai: Dubai Islamic Insurance and Reinsurance Company AMAN has launched a health insurance scheme in the UAE. The new plan will offer comprehensive products that are consistent with the Sharia rules and are based on Islamic Takaful principles. Aetna Signs Agreement with BayCare Health System Aetna NYSE: AET and BayCare Health System announced today that they have reached agreement on a new multi-year contract that ensures continuation ... Health insurance waiting list a record State says 145,800 have no coverage, an all-time high. The number of Pennsylvania adults on a waiting list for state-subsidized health insurance has reached an all-time high, a state Insurance Department spokeswoman said this week. UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News Orbital, SpaceX to resupply space station ... Boosting blood flow may fight Alzheimer's ... Cancer enzymes found in zebrafish study ...Older people at risk from mixing drugs ... Health/Science news from UPI. Students may be required to have health plans Students at state colleges and universities could be required to have medical-insurance coverage under a proposal endorsed by a special task force on health-care reform. |




