Michael Brewer

HITECH: An Acronym For All To Fear

Another day of healthcare reform, another cheeky acronym and another pot of federal funds. Tomorrow, something called the HITECH Act takes effect. For those of you (like me) who find acronyms ironic because they only serve to make the English language more confusing, HITECH stands for " Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health." For insurance companies and medical providers, it's just... (posted by Michael 2 years 99 days ago.)

Lost in Transit: Are Your Medical Records Safe?

Do you know where your medical records are? Chances are if you have a health insurance plan with a major carrier, your history of physical ailments is safely housed in a locked filing cabinet or spinning on a secured server amongst other bits and bytes of data. But for every doctor's visit you make, another set of prying eyes or misplaced portable hard drive could threaten your personal information.... (posted by Michael 2 years 111 days ago.)

Medi-Gap: Budget Cuts Threaten State Health Plans

The great health care debate is arguably creating another social class category separating the "haves" and the "have-nots." Now that so many individuals have lost their jobs and group health insurance to go along with them, many Americans are suddenly finding themselves in the "have not" column for the first time in their professional lives. For them, there's short term health insurance for... (posted by Michael 2 years 113 days ago.)

Cadillac or Cab: Is Your Health Plan Driving an Excise Tax?

Try as it might, General Motors sure can't catch a break. After filing for bankruptcy last year, enduring massive layoffs and putting some of thier one-time flagship brands out to pasture, Congress has taken one of its rugged White Knights on wheels and drug it slowly through the thick, verbal mud that is healthcare reform. No one can get enough of the "Cadillac plans," so named by the... (posted by Michael 2 years 126 days ago.)

Democrats Waited to Exhale - In The End, Healthcare Reform May Die

Who knew? The end of health insurance reform came down to one seeminlgly simple election that got really, really complicated. What's more baffling is that nearly no one saw it coming. Massachusetts Democrat Martha Coakley was considered a shoo-in to replace former Senator Ted Kennedy, who succumbed to brain cancer last fall. But up jumped a Republican rabbit and one not... (posted by Michael 2 years 127 days ago.)

National Health Insurance Exchange: Who's Covering Who?

Even in a recession, we’re pretty loyal to our favorite brands. Economists who study these things watch the food we eat, the clothes we buy and the gas we put in our car. It’s all part of a mission to find out what we are willing to scrimp on when cash is harder to come by. But even though shoppers are buying store-brand items more often now, the National Retail Federation and... (posted by Michael 2 years 133 days ago.)