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Managed Care Companies
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CDHPs MAY NEAR 50% OF MARKET BY ’07, HANWAY SAYS
Nearly 50% of the 180 million covered lives in the U.S. could be in a consumer-directed health plan by 2007, compared to just 3% today, according to Edward Hanway, chairman of Cigna Corp. (Philadelphia).
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BCBS-MA TO OFFER HSA PLAN IN ‘05; TAPS WELLS FARGO
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Boston) will introduce HSA-compatible high-deductible health plans in 2005, using Wells Fargo as preferred HSA Trustee, according to Tim O’Brien, senior vice president of sales.
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PACIFICARE TO LAUNCH HSA PLANS IN 2005
PacifiCare Health Systems (Cypress, CA) will launch individual and large group HSA-compatible health plans in April 2005 and small group plans in February, according to a new web site from America’s Health Insurance Plans (Washington).
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BLUE SHIELD-CA LIFE OFFERS HSA PLANS
Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Co. (San Francisco) has launched two HSA-compatible high-deductible health plans for small and mid-sized groups, the company announced.
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BCBS-SC EYES 3000 HSA LIVES IN 2005; SEES COST SHIFT
Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina (Columbia, SC) expects to have about 3000 lives enrolled in HSA-compatible high-deductible health plans as of Jan. 1, 2005, according to Tom Faulds, president of the company’s Blue Cross division.
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COLBY HEADS UP UNITED BENEFUND
Ronald Colby, who was replaced earlier this year as chief executive of UnitedHealth Group’s specialized services unit, has resurfaced as the point man for BeneFund, a new concept launched by UnitedHealth (Minnetonka, MN) in Utah and Colorado for self-insured employers.
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BCBS-NC MAKES CLEAR: BALANCE BILL AFTER REPRICING
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC) has announced plans to launch a high-deductible health plan for employer groups on Jan. 1, 2005, with Mellon Financial Corp. handling HSA administration.
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AETNA CA HSA PLANS HAVE EMBEDDED DEDUCTIBLES
Aetna Inc. (Hartford, CT) has begun offering three new HSA-compatible health plans to small groups (two to 50 employees) in California, with embedded deductibles for family coverage.
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MEDICAL MUTUAL-OH LEARNS HSA LESSONS
“We’ve skinned our knees a little bit as the year went on,” said Aaron Graham, product manager of Medical Mutual of Ohio (Cleveland), in discussing the company’s early efforts at marketing HSA-compatible health plans.
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TO EMBED OR AGGREGATE DEDUCTIBLES?
Managed care organizations are learning about a quirk in the federal rules for HSA-compatible high-deductible health plans, which require that family deductibles be aggregated unless the embedded individual deductible is at least equal to the minimum family deductible ($2000 in 2004).
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