Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.insur From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: insur Tue, Feb 18 1992 Date: Tue, 18 Feb 92 06:36:31 EST Message-ID: DECISIONLINE: Insurance USA TODAY Update Feb. 18, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CAMPAIGN HEATS REFORM DEBATE: Tuesday's New Hampshire presidential primary is a milestone for the health-care debate. Contenders in the primary carry into battle health-care reform plans of every flavor. Each tries to address the soaring health costs and shrinking health coverage that have even well-insured Americans deeply worried. USA TODAY analyzed the candidates' plans with the help of dozens of health-policy experts. (For more, see special Candidates package below.) A WAY TO HOLD DOWN COSTS: Alan C. Enthoven, chairman of California's Health Benefits Advisory Council for the Public Employees' Retirement System says employers could eliminate the most powerful force driving up health care costs without government action. "The key is price competition among providers," says Enthoven. "Let the employer select a menu of high-quality managed care plans." BUSH WEIGHS CAP ON MEDICAID: The Bush administration is proposing to curb health care spending by limiting how much federal Medicaid payments can grow year to year. Under the proposal, the federal government would pay states a flat amount, fixed in advance, for each Medicaid recipient. The increase in payments for each recipient would be limited to about 6% in 1994 and 5% in 1995. FORCES FORM CLEARINGHOUSE: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri and General American Life Insurance Co. have joined forces to form Healthcare Interchange Inc., a corporation combining the electronic claims clearinghouse capabilities of both companies. Officials say the plan "is a real opportunity for providers to pass along savings to their patients." CITICORP TO MARKET FOR AETNA: Citicorp Insurance Agency, St. Louis, a unit of Citicorp, New York, has agreed to telemarket homeowners' insurance in Florida for Aetna Life and Casualty Co., Hartford, Conn., to persons who obtain new loans from Citicorp in the state. Last year independent agents wrote $785 million in homeowners premiums for Aetna. DISPUTE WITH BANKS, IIAA: The Independent Insurance Agents of America contends that bank-owned agencies are not allowed to sell insurance in Florida, according to a lobbyist with the IIAA. A spokesman with Citibank said the agency can sell insurance in the state, since it is a credit-related product. N.C. SLASHES COMP RATE REQUEST: North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Jim Long has cut a requested workers' compensation rate hike of 41.8% to 15.8%. The order will save the states' employers about $155 million, Long said. According to A.M. Best, North Carolina had an adjusted loss ratio of 106.1 for the workers' comp line. GEOGRAPHY INFLUENCES TREATMENT: A woman's chance of having breast cancer surgery that spares her breast varies around the country. In 1988, women in the Northeast were most likely to have a breast-sparing partial mastectomy (40.2%), followed by women in the West (29.8%), North Atlantic (28.1%), Southwest (27.9%), Midwest (23.8%), Southeast (21%), Midsouth (20.9%), North Central (13.6%), and South (11%). HONOLULU NAMED HEALTHEST CITY: To increase chances of a long life, head for Honolulu. According to the 1992 edition of "The Livable Cities Almanac" by John Tepper Marlin, Honolulu topped the list of healthiest cities. According to Marlin's almanac, Anchorage is the second-healthest city to live in, followed by Denver-Aurora-Boulder, Charlotte, N.C., and the Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn., area. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CANDIDATES: BUSH SUPPORTS TAX CREDITS: President Bush's supports tax credits and deductions to support the purchase of private health insurance. It's greatest weakness: No firm idea of how to pay for it. The administration estimates the plan will cost the Treasury about $35 billion a year once it's fully phased in - $30 billion for the credits, the rest for added public health spending. BROWN WANTS TO NATIONALIZE CARE: Former California governor Jerry Brown endorses a Canadian-style national health-insurance system. Under it, governments would function as health-insurers and would finance health care through taxes. He wants a ceiling on doctor and hospital fees and would boost managed care. He attacks the medical establishment for blocking change. N.Y. TIMES BACKS TSONGAS' PLAN: Former Massachusetts senator Paul Tsongas' strategy is "managed competition," endorsed by The New York Times and Business Week. Under it, society would divide into large groups called sponsors. They could be large employers, associations of small employers or state governments. The sponsors would act as purchasing agents for their members, bidding among various HMOs and health plans. CLINTON SAYS `PLAY OR PAY': Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton's proposal for health-care reform follows the play-or-pay strategy championed by Senate Democratic leaders. Play-or-pay would require all employers to provide basic health benefits to all full-time and most part-time workers. Employers either could play by obtaining private coverage or else pay a percentage of their payroll into a public insurance system. STATE HAS POWER WITH KERRY: Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska calls his plan national health insurance. It would have each state create a health-care financing agency and collect most of the money needed to pay for health care through taxes. But instead of paying doctors and hospitals directly, the agency would in turn pay whichever private health-care plan a person chose. (End of plan.) Insurance Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. 08:0002180000D0218 INTE-R D IRA-gunmen-attack-police.............. A D0218 This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM