Premiums

Enrollment Down, Profits Up for Oregon Insurers

Insurers are on pace to increase profits this year by 25 percent on higher premiums while fewer people have coverage
September 9, 2009 -- As premiums continue to rise unabated, Oregon insurers lost more than 21,000 members in the second quarter of 2009 – from April through June – representing a 1.2 percent decline compared to the first quarter of this year. Read More >>

Industry Pressure Mounts on State Regulators

Lobbying to limit health insurance rate regulation extends beyond walls of the state capitol
September 3, 2009 – Armed with authority to peer deeper into health insurance balance sheets, the state agency that governs the industry faces intense lobbying pressure. Read More >>

Battle Against Regence Rate Increase Continues

Attorney files legal exception setting stage for battle in Court of Appeals
July 23, 2009 --  Advocates are just getting started on their year-long fight against state regulators who approved a 26 percent rate hike on individual policyholders of Regence BlueCross BlueShield last July.  Read More >>

Oregon Takes Lead in Insurance Cost Scrutiny

Health insurers will soon have to report every administrative cost from furniture to moving expenses
July 23, 2009 -- When Oregon regulators analyze insurance premiums next year, they’ll take a closer look at administrative costs than nearly any health insurance regulator in United States history. Read More >>

Insurance Tax Cost Shift All But Certain

New tax to expand coverage to children and low-income adults will have everyone paying higher premiums
July 15, 2009 -- Employers will definitely feel the pain of an insurance tax that will help raise more than $115 billion to cover 115,000 uninsured children and low-income adults in Oregon over the next four years. Read More >>

Employer-Designed Health Plans Gain Traction

“Value-based” plans could save up to 12 percent according to healthcare actuary
July 15, 2009 -- President Obama might want to take a serious look at how Oregon insurers and employers intend to transform healthcare in 2010. Read More >>

Health Net Readies Premium Increase

On the heels of legislation aimed at reducing costs, Health Net says new laws will increase premiums
June 22, 2009 -- Governor Ted Kulongoski has yet to sign into law a provider tax (House Bill 2116) that will allow another 80,000 children and 35,000 low-income adults to become insured. Nevertheless, Health Net of Oregon plans to charge higher rates to compensate for the 1 percent premium tax. Read More >>

Comprehensive Health Reform Bill Nears Passage

Advocates say the bill is too soft on insurance rate review, but there’s much to applaud
May 28, 2009 -- A comprehensive health reform package winding its way through Oregon’s Legislature promises to reduce costs while improving quality. Read More >>

OSPIRG Gives Key Reform Bill Mixed Review

The group's lobbyist says Oregon’s cost containment bill mostly succeeds, but falls short in holding industry accountable
May 28, 2009 -- House Bill 2009 includes important steps forward in some key areas of health care costs and quality. In other areas, the bill falls short of what’s needed to address the problem of rising health insurance and out-of-pocket costs  facing families and businesses. Read More >>

Insurance Costs Hurt Idahoans, study says

Blue Cross, Regence BlueShield have a 'near-monopoly,' advocates say. But the companies say the new report is flawed
Originally at IdahoStatesman.com
May 23, 2009 -- Blue Cross of Idaho and Regence BlueShield of Idaho, the state's two biggest health insurers, can charge customers as much as they want because they have little competition, a new study says.
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