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INSURANCE QUOTES FROM MULTIPLE CARRIERS

Coverage for older dependents brings cost, admin worries
Employee Benefit News ý 6/15/06 - Even as insurers and employers try to conserve health care costs by passing on expenses to employees and slashing benefit fat, many states are passing, or at least considering, legislation raising the age of dependents covered on their parents' health plans, employer-sponsored or not.

So far, about a dozen states have passed laws, and another 15 bills have been introduced. All increase dependent ages, usually to between 25 and 30, although in at least one instance, the definition of dependent simply was changed to include elderly parents and disabled adult children. Many extend "dependent" only to full-time students up to a certain point, while a few go simply by age.

There are numerous reasons for the spate of new laws, all tied to filling the uninsured gap. Many young adults, for example, may start college later because they served in the military or, as is the case with many Utah residents, because they embark on two-year missions after high school. Even more graduate from college and find themselves unable to find a job that offers them health benefits. Some are self-employed and do not have the money to buy health insurance. Some have mental and physical disabilities that prevent them from enrolling in post-secondary education.

Read complete story: http://www.benefitnews.com

HEALTH CARE TRENDS

Charity care costs jump since cuts in TennCare
The Tennessean - 6/18/06 - A year after the state of Tennessee began dropping tens of thousands of poor people from its expanded version of Medicaid, local hospitals say they are seeing a sharp rise in the number of patients who can't afford to pay.

It's still too early to say exactly how much the cuts to TennCare are costing hospitals, but some say it's clear they're giving away far more medical care today than they did a year ago.

"We're seeing a trend," said Michael Huggins of the Tennessee Hospital Association, which is lobbying state and federal officials for more money for treating the uninsured.

Read complete story: http://www.tennessean.com

THE UNINSURED

San Francisco mayor urges health coverage for all uninsured
San Francisco Chronicle ý 6/21/06 - Mayor Gavin Newsom announced an ambitious proposal that would make San Francisco the first city in the country to provide taxpayer-subsidized health care to all uninsured residents, covering services like doctor visits, surgeries and prescription drugs.

San Francisco is home to an estimated 82,000 uninsured residents, who typically go to public clinics and hospitals for treatment. The plan, dubbed San Francisco Health Access Program, would offer people the primary and preventive health care they lack and allow them to access hundreds of doctors in public and private hospitals and clinics.

Efforts to provide universal access to health care in San Francisco have been made before, but they have failed. Newsom, who is facing re-election in 2008 and has made the topic a cornerstone of his administration, is optimistic that his plan, which would need approval by the Board of Supervisors, will be implemented beginning next year.

Read complete story: http://www.sfgate.com

Young adults could pay price for being without insurance
The Chicago Tribune (free registration required) / Knight Ridder/Tribune news ý 6/20/06 - This is the time of year when many students graduating from high school and college are no longer eligible for medical coverage under their parents' plans.

A Commonwealth Fund study found that 13 million young adults in the United States were without medical insurance in 2004. Almost half of high school graduates and two of five college graduates are uninsured for a portion of the year after graduation, according to the study.

Usually, once children are 18 and not in college full time, they lose coverage under their family's employer-sponsored group plan. Rarely do they seek coverage on their own.

Read complete story: http://www.chicagotribune.com

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Brand name drug prices up nearly 4 percent
Los Angeles Times (free registration required) / The Associated Press ý 6/20/06 - Brand name drug prices jumped nearly 4 percent during the first three months of the year, raising costs for taxpayers subsidizing the Medicare drug program and for some of those participating in it, AARP said.

AARP, an advocacy group for senior citizens, said the quarterly increase was the largest since 2000. Pharmaceutical companies said the increases were in line with overall medical inflation.

In a separate report, Families USA said insurers participating in the Medicare program passed on the increase for 19 of the top 20 drugs that lead in sales.

Read complete story: http://www.latimes.com