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Japan aims to fix medical fee errors linked to My Number by August

The health ministry said Thursday that it would take measures to resolve the issue of My Number card holders being overcharged for medical expenses by August. System errors over the use of My Number cards as health insurance certificates have caused many patients to have to pay the full amount of medical costs out of their own pocket instead of the regular amount — basically set at 30% for those between ages 6 and 70 . The ministry presented its plan to resolve the issue at the first meeting of a new task force that day. Unable to view this…
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Pickleball is bad news for health insurance stocks, UBS says

A sport that is making many older Americans more active could be backfiring for health insurance companies, according to UBS. Pickleball is a tennis-adjacent sport that has exploded in popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic, attracting millions of new players and celebrity investors. But UBS analyst Andrew Mok said in a note to clients Monday that the sport’s growth and popularity among seniors could contribute to rising health-care spending. “After analyzing the growth in pickleball as well as the nature and frequency of related injuries, we conducted a bottom-up analysis of medical costs. In total, we estimate $250-500 mn of medical…
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New Reporting on Insurance Claim Denials Highlights ‘Scam’ of For-Profit Healthcare

A pair of new stories examining the increasingly common but shadowy US insurance industry practice of refusing to pay for certain treatments drew outrage Wednesday from patient advocates and Medicare for All proponents, who said the reporting further revealed the harms of for-profit healthcare. The investigative outlet ProPublicafocused its attention on the “galling” secrecy around insurance companies’ claim denials, which frequently leave patients with massive medical bills and little clarity as to why their claims were rejected. “How often insurance companies say no is a closely held secret,” ProPublica‘s Robin Fields reported. “There’s nowhere that a consumer or an employer…
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Does health insurance cover skin cancer screening? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions

Does health insurance cover skin cancer screening? Does health insurance cover skin cancer screening? 00:59 BOSTON-Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your medical questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or Twitter. Christine asks, “Is skin cancer screening covered under health insurance? I have light skin and want to protect myself from skin cancer.” Most insurance companies do cover skin cancer screenings as part of your annual wellness visit but if you’re not sure, call and ask. Even better, ask if they will cover a skin exam by a dermatologist. All adults should see a…
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Criticism continues against Gov. Pritzker’s move closing health care enrollment for immigrants

Backlash continued to rain down on Gov. JB Pritzker Wednesday following his decision last week to close enrollment for a state-funded health insurance program for immigrants under 65 as other Illinois officials highlighted that a bill is sitting on the governor’s desk that would allow the state to issue regular driver’s licenses for noncitizens. Though not connected, the two issues took center stage as Pritzker continued to push back against criticism from Latino lawmakers and immigrant advocates that his administration’s decision on the health insurance program was “immoral and fiscally shortsighted.” Pritzker has defended the move because program costs are…
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Generali appeals against health insurance premium cap in Slovenia

June 19 (SeeNews) – Italian insurer Generali has filed an appeal with Slovenia’s Supreme Court demanding that the cap on supplementary insurance premium be scrapped, local media reported. The 35.67 euro ($39.0) upper price limit for supplementary health insurance has a negative effect on the operations of the company, as it is not sufficient to cover all obligations amid the higher costs of medical services, the STA news agency quoted sources from Generali as say. Earlier this year, Slovenia’s Appeals Court dismissed an appeal by Generali, Triglav and Vzajemna against the price limit, set by the Slovenian government in mid-April.…
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Venezuela: Oil Sector Workers Protest for Health Insurance, Higher Wages

Caracas, June 8, 2023 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Dozens of oil industry workers have staged protests in walkouts in recent days to demand improved wages and labor rights. Since June 1, employees from the Puerto La Cruz refinery in Anzoátegui state, eastern Venezuela, have demonstrated at the company headquarters and other oil industry facilities, as well as being taken to the streets. While the refinery has been the epicenter of the mobilization, workers and union representatives from other affiliates of the state oil company PDVSA have also participated. José Bodas Lugo, secretary-general of the Unitary Federation of Oil Workers (FUTPV), told Venezuelanalysis…
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Aviva added more than 100,000 private health insurance customers in a year as the NHS struggled

Insurance firm Aviva has reported a 25% increase in the number of new health insurance policies taken out in the first three months of this year – as the NHS lists were lengthened and staff went on strike. The Aviva boss was explicit in linking the rise in new policies to failings in the public health service. The increase is “a consequence of what we’re seeing in the NHS and customers basically say that if they can take control over their health situation then they will,” chief executive Amanda Blanc said. More individuals and companies are “attracted to the benefits…