Content about Health insurance

MILWAUKEE — Aurora Health Care has appointed a Wisconsin state official as its SVP and CFO.

The nonprofit health system, which runs Aurora Health Care Pharmacy in Wisconsin, announced the appointment of Gail Hanson to the two positions, replacing David Eager, who will continue with Aurora’s finance group under Hanson’s leadership.

WASHINGTON — A coalition of six associations, including the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, on Thursday called on Congress to repeal the requirement that prevents consumers from using their flexible spending accounts to purchase over-the-counter medicines without a prescription as of Jan. 1.

WASHINGTON Seven months after President Obama signed the massive health-reform bill into law, Americans remain deeply divided over the controversial overhaul and its potential benefits, a new poll from the Associated Press and the GfK Group revealed.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT A plan by health insurer Humana and Walmart to offer a cheap prescription drug plan to seniors who shop at the mass merchandiser may be a little off the mark, if results of the survey of Medicare beneficiaries is to be believed.

(THE NEWS: Many seniors are satisfied with Medicare Rx benefit, survey shows. For the full story, click here)

NEW YORK Against a backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, employer healthcare costs for active employees are projected to rise 8.2% after plan changes to an average annual cost of $10,730 in 2011, according to a recent survey of 466 large and midsize employers conducted by Towers Watson.

SAN DIEGO Three-in-10 Americans recently surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute said they would use their cell or smart phone to track and monitor their personal health, and 40% would be willing to pay for a remote monitoring device that sends health information directly to their doctor.

WASHINGTON The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday expanded Medicare coverage of evidence-based tobacco-cessation counseling, removing a barrier to treatment for all tobacco users covered by Medicare, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Once again, the Democratic Party and the Obama administration are taking point on a relief plan for long-term or recently unemployed and underemployed Americans hit hard by the recession and the still-dismal job market. But their efforts to extend the program that provides additional emergency Medicaid funding to the states could provide additional relief to pharmacies that serve Medicaid patients, too.

CINCINNATI According to a survey conducted by Pulse Health & Wellness Initiatives, manufacturers are not sufficiently communicating the health benefits of their brands to meet the needs of healthcare professionals.