Monday, November 24, 2008

Aetna Signs Contract With Orlando Health Physicians

Aetna Signs Contract With Orlando Health Physicians

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Aetna Signs Contract With Orlando Health Physicians

ORLANDO, Fla., October 30, 2008 — Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced today that it has reached agreement with the Orlando Health physicians group on a three-year contract renewal. Under the new contract, Aetna for the first time will have a direct contract with South Seminole Behavioral Specialists, a behavioral health physicians group that serves Central Florida.

South Seminole Behavioral Specialists added to central Florida network

"Aetna is very pleased to offer its Central Florida members in-network access to behavioral health services," said Jim McCunney, Aetna's vice president of network development for Central Florida. ""n an environment of rising health care costs, this new agreement is good news for our members."

Aetna also recently renewed its hospital agreement with Orlando Health, a 1,780-bed system that includes:

  • Orlando Regional Medical Center;
  • Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children;
  • Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies;
  • Lucerne Hospital;
  • Dr. P. Phillips Hospital;
  • South Lake Hospital;
  • South Seminole Hospital; and
  • M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando.

Earlier this year, Aetna also signed a five-year agreement with the Orlando Health Visiting Nurse Association. That contract took effect in August.

Orlando Health is a $1.5 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of nine hospitals and care centers in the Orlando region. The organization, which includes the area's only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics, is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. They are: Orlando Regional Medical Center; Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children; Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies; Lucerne Hospital; Dr. P. Phillips Hospital; South Seminole Hospital; South Lake Hospital (50 percent partnership); St. Cloud Regional Medical Center (20 percent partnership) and M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando - the first affiliate of one of the nation's premier cancer centers, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Orlando Health's areas of clinical excellence are heart and vascular, cancer care, neurosciences, surgery, pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine, neonatology, and obstetrics and gynecology.

Orlando Health is Central Florida's fifth-largest employer with nearly 14,000 employees and more than 2,000 affiliated physicians.

Aetna provides and administers health benefits to more than 225,000 members in Central Florida. Those members have access to a contracted network of 35 hospitals, 1,626 primary care physicians and 4,434 specialists.

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates.

Refrence:

http://www.aetna.com/news/newsReleases/2008/1030_OrlandoHealthPhysicians.html

Thursday, November 6, 2008

1 in 6 children without Florida health insurance

1 in 6 children without Florida health insurance

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1 in 6 children without Florida health insurance

Oct 31,2008



With nearly 800,000 children without health insurance, Florida has the second highest rate of uninsured kids in the nation, according to a national survey released Thursday in Washington.

Families USA, a nonpartisan healthcare consumer group, uses the latest census data to compare states. Its report found that one in six children in Florida -- 18.8 percent -- lack health coverage and the numbers continue to grow.

The report uses data from 2005 through 2007 and so does not include information from 2008, when economic conditions deteriorated.

"The number of uninsured children in Florida increased by nearly 78,000, or 10.9 percent, between the three-year period 2003-2005 and the three-year period 2005-2007, and is likely to continue to grow due to the financial crisis," Families USA said in a news release.

"The vast majority of uninsured children -- 87.8 percent -- come from families where at least one parent works, and nearly two-thirds of uninsured children -- or 71.4 percent -- live in households where at least one family member works full-time, year-round," the organization said.

Last year, Congress voted to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but it was vetoed by President Bush. The program is scheduled to expire on March 31.



2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.

Nine carriers bid to offer Cover Florida health insurance

Nine carriers bid to offer Cover Florida health insurance

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Nine carriers bid to offer Cover Florida health insurance
September 19, 2008

Gov. Charlie Crist announced Thursday the state has received nine bid proposals from private health care insurance providers seeking to offer Cover Florida health insurance policies to Florida’s 3.8 million uninsured residents.

The Cover Florida Health Care Access Program, developed by Crist and passed by the state Legislature, aims to offer Florida families and businesses quality health care benefits at a rate of about $150 a month or less.

The bids, submitted to the Agency for Health Care Administration and Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation, include two statewide carriers and seven regional carriers. Winning proposals will be named by early October 2008, and Cover Florida insurance is expected to be available by Jan. 1, 2009.

Cover Florida allows the state to partner with competitively selected private health care entities to create health insurance products that could not otherwise be offered under existing regulations. Only those plans selected will be awarded contracts to offer Cover Florida.

The competitive negotiation process for Cover Florida plans opened on July 1. The state will approve at least one statewide plan and may approve regional plans as well to maximize the level of consumer choice.

All approved Cover Florida carriers must offer consumers at least two plans, one with catastrophic and hospital coverage, and one without. They also must include, at minimum, coverage for preventive services, screenings, office visits, outpatient and inpatient surgery, urgent care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment and diabetic supplies.

South Florida Business Journal