Jonathan Oosting The Detroit News Published 11:22 AM EDT May 16, 2019 Lansing — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday she will not sign any auto insurance reform plan that allows drivers to fully opt out of medical coverage, her clearest directive yet amid ongoing negotiations with Republican legislative leaders. The GOP-led House and Senate approved separate no-fault auto insurance proposals last week that would end the state’s unique requirement for motorists to purchase policies with guaranteed lifetime medical coverage in the event of a catastrophic crash. Both plans seek to drive down Michigan's sky-high rates by allowing motorists the choice to purchase reduced coverage plans, including those with no personal injury protection for drivers who already have public or private health insurance. The Republican majority could act on either plan at any point. “The zero-coverage option is where I have to draw the line, because that’s what … [Read more...] about Whitmer ‘draws the line’ on auto insurance medical opt-out
Non medical home care cost
Funding sought to start peer-run respite homes to support Minnesotans in mental health crisis
Like most people in Minnesota, state Rep. John Poston, R-Lake Shore, had never heard about peer-run respite homes. But then he had a conversation with one of his constituents, Jode Freyholtz-London, executive director of Wellness in the Woods, a Verndale-based nonprofit devoted to helping rural Minnesotans get access to high-quality mental health care. During her meeting with Poston, Freyholtz-London explained that respite homes are facilities that provide beds and specialized support for people in mental health crisis. Run by a team of certified peer support specialists, respite homes are a low-cost, non-medical mental health treatment option that can give people in crisis time to heal — and free up much-needed space in busy emergency rooms and psychiatric wards. Some 17 states, including Wisconsin, already have peer respite homes up and running, but there are none in Minnesota. Because she is convinced that people in Greater Minnesota could benefit from peer-run respite … [Read more...] about Funding sought to start peer-run respite homes to support Minnesotans in mental health crisis
Surprise medical bills: The doctor is not in your insurance plan
Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page Liz Kowalczyk Globe Staff March 29, 2019 The expectant mother was in labor at South Shore Hospital when she requested a common pain medicine, which was administered by an anesthesiologist. Home with a newborn days later, she was surprised when a bill arrived from the doctor’s group for $2,143.44. Another patient who went to Emerson Hospital’s emergency department for what turned out to be a broken rib also received a surprise bill: $300.91, for the services of the doctor who read the X-ray.Neither of the patients initially knew the reason behind the hefty additional charges, according to complaints they filed with state regulators. They sought care at hospitals that were fully covered by their insurance plans. What they didn’t know was that the two doctors were not — and had billed the patients directly for their services. Advertisement … [Read more...] about Surprise medical bills: The doctor is not in your insurance plan
CDC: Unvaccinated boy who nearly died of tetanus recovered after almost $1M in care
PORTLAND, Ore. — An unvaccinated 6-year-old Oregon boy was hospitalized for two months for tetanus and almost died of the bacterial illness after getting a deep cut while playing on a farm, according to a case study published Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2017 case is the first case of pediatric tetanus in Oregon in more than 30 years and alarmed infectious disease experts who said tetanus is almost unheard of in the U.S. since widespread immunization began in the 1940s. The child received an emergency dose of the tetanus vaccine in the hospital, but his parents declined to give him a second dose — or any other childhood shots — after he recovered, the paper said. "When I read that, my jaw dropped. I could not believe it. That's a tragedy and a misunderstanding, and I'm just flabbergasted," said Dr. William Schaffner, an expert in infectious diseases and chair at the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Vanderbilt University … [Read more...] about CDC: Unvaccinated boy who nearly died of tetanus recovered after almost $1M in care
High Country dilemma: Health care costs are reaching crisis levels
EAGLE • This is the time of year Janet Jordan dreads: open enrollment on individual and small-group health insurance markets and the inevitably rising prices on Colorado’s Obamacare exchange.“Every year when I go through this, I have employees expressing anger and upset and spouses expressing anger and upset,” Jordan said. “It’s not easy to pick the plan and then tell your employees how little you’re going to be able to contribute to it for their families.”Jordan runs Heartwood Custom Woodworks, an Eagle flooring and cabinetry company that she and her husband, Carl, founded in 1992.She said she has to offer some insurance subsidy to find and retain workers in an increasingly tight labor market. But Heartwood can only pay half of the insurance for their 15 or so employees, and nothing for their families.“It’s the anti-benefit. It truly is, because insurance never goes down. It always goes up,” Jordan said. … [Read more...] about High Country dilemma: Health care costs are reaching crisis levels