Category Archives: Health Insurance

Featured Link – Consumers Guide to the Health Reform Bill

Written On March 22, 2010 By Bob Kraft

This summary of the health care reform bill passed by the House yesterday is very readable. I can’t vouch for the accuracy of all the information here, but I didn’t notice any glaring errors. It’s a good starting point for those who want more information about the effect on them of this historic legislation. The [...]

Posted in Consumer Information, Featured Link, Government, Health Insurance, Insurance Information, Political and/or Judicial

Obama Health Proposal Could Reduce Texas Insurance Premiums

Written On February 26, 2010 By Bob Kraft

It may come as a surprise to those not familiar with Texas politics that Texas does not review most increases in health insurance premiums. Not unless the premium increase is for more than 50% annually. Everything else is fair game. An insurance company can increase premiums 49% per year every year and that would be [...]

Posted in Government, Health Insurance, Insurance Company or Government Misconduct

Soaring Premiums Show Need for Health Care Reform

Written On February 18, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, has written an opinion piece in the Atlanta Journal Constitution in which she says the recent proposed rate increase by Wellpoint and Blue Cross is evidence that fast reform is needed in this country’s health care system. Here are excerpts from the article:
Earlier this month, [...]

Posted in Government, Health Insurance

Featured Link — Texas Health Pool

Written On February 17, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Texas Health Pool is a health insurance resource of last resort for people who can’t find coverage anywhere else. Many questions about this pool are answered on the site’s FAQ page. Here is the Pool’s self-description:
The Texas Health Insurance Pool was created by the Texas Legislature to provide health insurance to eligible Texas residents [...]

Posted in Featured Link, Health Insurance

“Tort Reform” Won’t Fix Health Care

Written On December 22, 2009 By Bob Kraft

In an op-ed article in the Baltimore Sun, attorney Wayne M. Willoughby makes a convincing argument that “tort reform” is not the solution to high healthcare costs. Here are excerpts from the article:
For months now, national Republicans and their media supporters have attempted to divert the health care debate away from improving access to quality [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Maybe a New Day for Doctors’ Pay

Written On November 9, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Robert H. Frank, an economist at Cornell University, has written an interesting article for the New York Times regarding money earned by physicians. The gist of the article (rather densely written as you would expect from a professor of economics) is that one reason health care costs are so high is that doctors are paid [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

“Tort Reform” Is a Desperate Distraction From Health Care Debate

Written On November 9, 2009 By Bob Kraft

This article was written for the Huffington Post by Anthony Tarricone, president of the American Association for Justice. Here are excerpts:

Those opposed to real health care reform are flailing to come up with real, alternative solutions to our current crisis. With all the talk of death panels, government takeovers, and rationing of care, now tort [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Omnicare Will Settle Kickback Cases for $98,000,000

Written On November 4, 2009 By Bob Kraft

CBS Evening News (11/3, story 9, 1:40, Smith) reported, “As members of Congress debate healthcare reform, most would agree there needs to be a crackdown on cheating. Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian reports now on a staggering fraud settlement involving healthcare giant Omnicare.” CBS (Keteyian) added that “Omnicare agreed to pay nearly $100 million to [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Insurance Company or Government Misconduct, Tort Reform

Increasing Risk, Hurting Patients — Malpractice Caps

Written On November 3, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Forbes Magazine has an interesting article about medical malpractice lawsuit caps, and how that idea is bad for patients. The article is written by Shirley Svorny, a professor of economics at California State University, Northridge, and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. Here are excerpts:
A new Congressional Budget Office report estimates that a set [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Medical Malpractice Insurers: Time to End Their License to Gouge

Written On October 30, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Here’s an interesting opinion about one reason medical malpractice insurance premiums are so high. This is from one of the contributors to the Huffington Post:
In 1945, Congress gave the massively powerful insurance industry an astonishing gift. It bestowed on them the freedom to do what would be illegal in every other industry (save, strangely, Major [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Insurance Company or Government Misconduct, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Tort Reform Is Not The Answer

Written On October 29, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Tort reform is not the answer — that’s the headline of an editorial in the Des Moines Register. The editorial lays out the arguments in favor of tort reform as a way to save money on health care, but comes to this conclusion:
The truth is some Americans are injured by health-care workers. They contract infections [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Insurance Company or Government Misconduct, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Righting Wrongful Denials of Insurance Coverage

Written On October 28, 2009 By Bob Kraft

This article from the Los Angeles Times provides a good, brief insight into what I think is one of the worst federal laws ever passed — the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, better known as ERISA.
One purpose of the healthcare reform effort in Washington is to help more Americans obtain coverage, in part by making [...]

Posted in Government, Health Insurance, Insurance Company or Government Misconduct

Battle Over Legal ‘Reforms’ Has Been Costly to Families

Written On October 19, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The Houston Chronicle has a good editorial about recent insurance “reforms” in Texas and across the nation. The gist of the editorial is that these reforms are hurting, not helping, average consumers. Here are excerpts:
For 20-plus years, the insurance industry, aided by tobacco interests, polluters, developers and the medical industry, have been engaged in a [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Insurance Company or Government Misconduct, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Tort Reform – Not a Health Care Panacea

Written On October 14, 2009 By Bob Kraft

An editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune provides insight into the current debate on the effect of medical malpractice on the costs of health insurance. The editorial puts things into perspective by pointing out that the total savings if all medical malpractice claims were to be eliminated would be only ½ of 1% of the [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Medication Problems and the Elderly

Written On October 13, 2009 By Bob Kraft

This guest post is from the National Care Planning Council.
At 83 years old, Martha still lived in her own home, and enjoyed working in her garden and canning peaches. It was becoming harder to motivate herself, to get up in the mornings and accomplish the day’s tasks. She confided to her daughter that she felt [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical and Health Resources, Prescription Drug Claims

Health Care Issues: Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

Written On October 9, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a short article about the heath care debate and the effect of medical malpractice tort reform on the costs of health care. The gist of the article is that the entire cost of medical malpractice lawsuits is less than ½% of total health care spending. Here are excerpts:

A look at key [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Medical Malpractice Insurance Companies Earning More Than Ever

Written On October 8, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Here’s an astonishing statistic released by the American Association for Justice this week: The 10 biggest medical malpractice insurers have average profits higher than 99% of Fortune 500 companies!
Here is the full press release from the American Association for Justice:

As Congress debates nationwide health care reform, a new analysis reveals malpractice insurers have long-played a [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Medical Malpractice Not to Blame for Rising Health Care Costs

Written On October 7, 2009 By Bob Kraft

A panel of experts, speaking at Georgetown University, has declared that tort “reform” of medical malpractice lawsuits is not the solution to the current health care crisis. As many previous studies have detailed, this panel stated that medical malpractice accounts for only 2 to 3 percent of health care costs. So eliminating medical malpractice lawsuits [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

Tort Reform: A Bad Bargain That Won’t Fix Health Care

Written On September 25, 2009 By Bob Kraft

In an excellent blog post at The Huffington Post, AAJ president Anthony Tarricone makes the case that tort reform is bad for Americans and will not solve the health care dilemma. The entire article is well-worth reading, but here are the opening paragraphs:

On Friday, the Associated Press reported that a southern Illinois woman died after [...]

Posted in Health Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Tort Reform

U.S. Bill Would Apply Antitrust Law to Medical Insurers

Written On September 24, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The Reuters news agency reports there is legislation introduced in the House and Senate that would at long last end the antitrust exemption for health insurance and medical malpractice insurance companies. This comes in the midst of a vigorous, to say the least, debate over health care reform and concerns about health premiums rising far [...]

Posted in Government, Health Insurance