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Mama Told Me Not to Come: A Day in the Corridors of Medical Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy exists in every field, from government to medicine to education. Yet medicine will be at least the point of the spear in this diary.

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New Health Insurance Changes Take Effect

The first wave of health insurance changes take effect today. Which ones?

  • No denial of children based on pre-existing conditions
  • No more lifetime benefit limits
  • No canceling policies of very sick and benefit-needy peoplefor technical errors on their application
  • Coverage of kids up to age 26 on their parent policies
  • No co-pays on some preventive procedures, including colonoscopies, mammograms and immunizations
  • Allowing those on new plans to keep their own doctors and to appeal reimbursement decisions to a third party.

One area of immediate concern: In many states, insurance companies will stop offering child-only policies immeidately. "Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc., Cigna Corp., are among the companies that plan to halt all or part of their child-only policy sales." More here.

Here's the new White House website explaining the law, the changes and the benefits.

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Wellpoint (BCBS) To Raise Rates in 11 States

It's not just California. Think Progress reports Wellpoint (Blue Cross Blue Shield) is going to impose double-digit rate increases in 11 of the 14 states it does business. In addiition to California, the states are: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, and Wisconsin.”

The findings are based on a new survey by the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Here's a sample:

Colorado: Average rates are expected to increase 19.9 percent in 2010, with increases of up to 24.5 percent for some policyholders.

Indiana: Rates are expected to increase 21 percent in 2010.

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