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Town Hall Meetings Beginning on Fixing Healthcare System

Excerpt: Seizing on the momentum of the presidential election and the promise of change on a historic scale, a grassroots 'conversation' about health care reform under the Obama administration began Thursday with town hall meetings around the nation, including several in the Bay Area.

Report from Anthem 'Town Hall Meeting' About Data Breach (PDF)

"Anthem said health plan sponsors using Anthem or an Anthem-member program as an insurer or third-party administrator will receive a list of affected members.... Anthem said it has determined that the phishing email it cautioned its members about was actually sent by a firm that sends innocuous phishing emails to individuals, to demonstrate to employers and others how vulnerable they may be to phishing expeditions. Unfortunately for that firm, the phishing email soon went viral. Anthem said individuals who clicked the link in the phishing email were simply directed to a site warning about the danger of phishing emails.... Anthem said that the breach compromised no insurance broker information or healthcare provider data."

Deceleration in U.S. Healthcare Costs Continues

Data released [on June 16] ... indicate that the average per capita cost of healthcare services ... increased by 5.39% over the 12 months ending April 2011. Since May 2010, annual rates of growth of healthcare costs have been largely decelerating.

Restricted Health Insurance Enrollment Periods As an Alternative to Individual Mandates

"[Healthcare Town Hall] recently ran a poll on the best course of action to reduce adverse selection if the PPACA individual mandate is struck down by the Supreme Court. The number one answer was 'use limited enrollment windows to reduce the occurrence of people joining a plan only when they become sick.'"

Annual Growth Rates of Health Care Costs Accelerated in April

"[T]he average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs increased by 3.16% over the 12-months ending April 2013, accelerating from the +3.06% annual growth rate recorded in March. Eight of the nine S&P Healthcare Economic Indices showed higher annual growth rates for April 2013 compared to March 2013."

S&P Finds Health Care Cost Increases Decelerate in August

"Data released ... by S&P Dow Jones Indices for the S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index indicates that the average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs increased by 5.70% over the 12-months ending August 2012. This is a deceleration from the +6.15% annual growth rate recorded in July 2012."

Health Care Costs Decelerated in June

"Data released ... by S&P Dow Jones Indices for the S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index indicates that the average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs increased by 5.78% over the 12-months ending June 2012. This is a deceleration from the +6.06% annual growth rate recorded in May 2012 and +6.11% rate in April 2012."

U.S. Health Care Costs' Annual Growth Rates Increased in April

"The S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index indicates that the average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs increased by 6.14% over the 12-months ending April 2012. This is almost a half a percentage point jump from the +5.65% rate posted for March 2012."

Fifth Consecutive Month of Health Cost Increases in September

Data released [November 17, 2011] by S&P Indices for the S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index indicate that the average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs increased by 5.75% over the 12-months ending September 2011.

Health Care Costs Rise 6.19% Over 12-Months Ending February 2011

The S&P Healthcare Economic Composite Index indicates that the average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs increased[.]