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| Ruling Released For State Health Insurance Switch |
(IRN)-Lawmakers for the first time Wednesday got answers to questions they'd been asking for weeks about the state's decision to switch health insurance providers for state workers. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services couldn't previously speak to the decision because it was under protest.
Illinois' ethics commission ruled the state didn't violate procurement laws when seeking bids for a new health insurance contract for state workers and retirees. Health Alliance, the state's current vendor which wasn't chosen for the new contract, was hoping the commission would make such a ruling to slow down the process.
One of the main sticking points in this debate, which has dragged on for months, is that the state will save $1 billion over the next decade by choosing Blue Cross—Blue Shield as the new provider. It would require an assumption with which State Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) says he's not comfortable.
"I've seen numbers that suggest this will actually cost us more money," says Murphy. "Frankly, I found those numbers to be somewhat credible."
According to Mercer Health and Benefits, those savings would be realized only if every doctor currently under Health Alliance switches to Blue Cross's network, which is unlikely to occur.
Health Alliance, along with many state workers, contend patients will have to switch doctors, but Department of Healthcare and Family Services director Julie Hamos predicts most doctors will migrate to the new network.
Blue Cross—Blue Shield has been criticized for having a sparse network Downstate, particularly in east and west central Illinois. It's true Blue Cross does not have an HMO network in those areas, but proponents say there is a healthy Open Access network in those areas.
A state commission passed a resolution the state no longer use self-insured healthcare plans for its employees in the future.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 05 25 11 by Newsroom |
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