Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Medical Mutual Earns A-Plus Ranking from BBB : EasyToInsureMe

Medical Mutual Earns A-Plus Ranking from BBB

Texas Health Insurance

The Better Business Bureau of Greater Cleveland has given Medical Mutual a rating of A+. The BBB has a new evaluation system, which gives businesses letter ratings, from A+ down to F, replacing its old, general “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” ratings. These letter grades represent the BBB’s degree of confidence that a business is operating in a trustworthy manner and will make a goodfaith effort to resolve customer concerns. The rating system makes it easy for consumers to find reliable businesses.

Individuals or groups can look up Medical Mutual’s A+ ranking at Cleveland.bbb.org.

Medical Mutual Ranks Number One : EasyToInsureMe

Medical Mutual Ranks Number One

Texas Health Insurance

Medical Mutual is number one, according to a 2008 survey conducted by an independent consulting firm. When compared to other health plans in Cleveland, Akron, Columbus, Toledo and Cincinnati, Medical Mutual ranks number one in several important areas, such as Clinical Quality, Administrative Effectiveness and Organizational Stability. This survey provides benchmarks for customers and employers in evaluating and selecting a health plan.

Medical Mutual : EasyToInsureME : Claims and Customer Service

Quality Remains High for Fourth Quarter in Claims and Customer Service

Medical Mutual

Texas Health Insurance

Claims and Customer Service maintained their high marks in the fourth quarter of 2008. The Claims department processed more than 6.9 million claims in the fourth quarter and maintained an accuracy rate of more than 98 percent.

Customer Service kept up its performance standards for speed, accuracy and service. More than 765,000 calls were received from both providers and customers—and nearly 95 percent of them were resolved on initial contact.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Aetna teams up with EasyToInsureME

Aetna teams up with EasyToInsureME

Aetna Health Insurance Quoting and Saving on your health insurance has never been easier. You're a few seconds away from obtaining a detailed health insurance quote for individual health insurance

Aetna teams up with EasyToInsureME

December 17, 2008

Aetna Health Insurance Company has teamed up with EasyToInsureME for Ohio residents searching for Ohio health insurance. EasyToInsureME and Aetna made this decision in February of 2008. The online health insurance company will allow Ohio residents to quote Aetna health insurance for Ohio on the easy to use online health insurance quote engine located on the EasyToInsureME website.

Aetna is very competitive in the state of Ohio and offers plans comparable to Medical Mutual of Ohio and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. These top three health insurance companies in Ohio are all great plans and can be compared using the easy to use online health insurance quote engine. Residents of Ohio searching for Ohio health insurance have very high health insurance premiums to deal with. This why a great direct comparison is always best to do before making any decision on health insurance in Ohio. In a few simple steps Ohio residents can compare health insurance plans and apply directly through EasyToInsureME for an immediate review by any health insurance company in Ohio.

"We have to treat our Ohio health insurance clients very carefully as the high health insurance premiums in Ohio are a difficult and troublesome factor in making excellent health insurance decisions," says Chad Levin, owner of EasyToInsureME.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Ohio

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Ohio

Quoting and Saving on your insurance coverage has never been easier. You're a few seconds away from obtaining detailed quotes for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Ohio health insurance programs.

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Ohio Health Insurance

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Basic Health Insurance

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio Expands Zagat Health Survey Tool

August 17, 2008

Members Can Rate Experiences with Ohio Physicians, Helps Both Members and Doctors

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio today announced the expansion of the Zagat Health Survey, an online survey tool that will allow consumers to share their physician experiences with others regarding physicians throughout the entire state. In January 2008, Anthem launched the tool for members to rate physicians in the greater Cincinnati and Dayton markets.

We're pleased to expand this tool, allowing our members to review and share feedback about physicians throughout the entire state, said Erin Hoeflinger, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio. Since launching the tool in January, we have seen a very positive response from our members, as nearly 90 percent of members who completed the survey recommended their providers and offered useful comments about their experiences.

Working with Zagat Survey, Anthem is helping to address an unmet need for peer-to-peer interaction among health care consumers. The Zagat Health Survey tool provides a vehicle for members to review and evaluate physicians based on a set of distinct criteria, creating a trusted resource to support informed member decision-making. This tool not only helps members, but is also designed to assist doctors in understanding membersý experiences.

The online survey tool allows consumers to review their doctor visits based on:

ý Trust - Confidence in the physicianýs approach

ý Communication ý Physicianýs bedside manner, responsiveness and rapport

ý Availability - Convenience for making appointments and physicianýs punctuality

ý Environment - Condition of the office, staff helpfulness, atmosphere and amenities

Consumers will also be asked whether they would recommend their doctor to others. The survey also features a comments section, allowing members to explain their ratings. These categories are solely designed to reflect a consumerýs experience with a physician and not to reflect the quality of care received.

For each network physician, the online entry will display contact information, ratings on a 30-point scale for each of the four categories, and the percentage of members who recommend that physician. The most recent comments will be displayed first, and members will have the option to rate the usefulness of comments and report suspicious comments. Anthem members can complete the Zagat Health Survey by logging on to the secure member portal on the Anthem Web site.

Consumer experience feedback is an important complement to clinical quality, cost and other information available to help consumers make informed decisions,ý said Dr. Barry Malinowski, medical director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio. ýWith this tool, Anthem is giving consumers the ability to share and learn from other peopleýs experiences when making the important decision about selecting a doctor.


About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Community Insurance Company, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio is available at www.anthem.com.


About Zagat Survey, LLC

Known as the ýburgundy bibleý, Zagat Survey is the worldýs most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play. With more than 300,000 surveyors, Zagat Survey rates and reviews restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, shopping and a range of other entertainment categories and is lauded as the ýmost up-to-dateý, ýcomprehensiveý and ýreliableý guide ever published. Zagat content is available to consumers wherever and whenever they need it: in book format, on ZAGAT.com, via the downloadable ZAGAT TO GO for smartphones and on the mobile web with ZAGAT.mobi. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com

Medical Mutual of Ohio

Medical Mutual of Ohio Receives URAC Utilization Management Accreditation

Quoting and Saving on your insurance coverage has never been easier. You're a few seconds away from obtaining detailed quotes for Medical Mutual of Ohio health insurance programs.

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Ohio Medical Mutual of Ohio Receives URAC Utilization Management Accreditation

September 4, 2008

Cleveland Medical Mutual of Ohio announced today that it is being awarded Utilization Management (UM) Accreditation from URAC, a Washington, DC-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the healthcare industry.

Medical Mutual has earned renewal status as Fully Accredited through 2010. In addition, Full Accreditation has been granted for the first time to the UM programs of Medical Mutual subsidiaries Consumers Life Insurance Company and Carolina Care Plan.

"We are honored to be recognized in the industry for providing outstanding services," said Paula Sauer, vice president of Care Management for Medical Mutual. "Such a distinction also underscores the quality of our work with customers and providers by demonstrating compliance with national standards."

URAC's Utilization Management Accreditation standards require companies to establish a process to assess, plan and implement utilization management interventions.

"By applying for and receiving utilization management accreditation, Medical Mutual has demonstrated a commitment to quality healthcare," said Alan P. Spielman, URAC president and CEO. "Quality healthcare is crucial to our nation's welfare and it is important to have organizations that are willing to measure themselves against national standards."

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is a leader in promoting health care quality through accreditation and certification programs. URAC's standards keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a mark of distinction for health care organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in setting meaningful standards for the health care industry. For more information, visit www.URAC.com.

Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual of Ohio is the oldest and largest health insurance company based in Ohio. The company serves its customers through high-quality, affordable group and personal health insurance plans, and third-party administrative services to self-insured group customers. For more information, visit the company's award-winning Web site at www.MedMutual.com.

Ohio health insurance coverage

Ohio State bill would extend Ohio health insurance coverage

Quoting and Saving on your insurance coverage has never been easier. You're a few seconds away from obtaining detailed quotes for low cost Ohio health insurance programs

Ohio State bill would extend Ohio health insurance coverage

October 8, 2008

Columbus - A bill that could reshape the future of Ohio health insurance coverage - and affect the household budgets of middle-class Ohioans - was unveiled by House Republicans Tuesday.

The wide-ranging proposal would require insurance companies to offer coverage to dependents up to age 29 and create a pool of high-risk people whose insurance would be subsidized by the state. The legislation would also help small businesses provide coverage for workers through discounts on workers' compensation premiums.

The high-risk pool would help thousands of Ohioans like Kevin Koelliker of Cleveland, who appeared at a news conference Tuesday where the proposal was announced.

Koelliker described health insurance premiums that skyrocketed from $690 a month to $1,800 a month when the insurance he had under his previous employer lapsed. The issue for insurers: Koelliker had suffered a heart attack, and his wife had been diagnosed with lupus.

"So the underwriter for the insurance carrier was basically saying, You're doomed," Koelliker said. "It was either pay or you have nothing."

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jim Raussen, a Cincinnati-area Republican, and is expected to be moved by majority-party House Republicans. It follows a series of meetings across the state by the House Health Care Access and Affordability Committee, which Raussen chairs.

The result was a bill embracing a range of ideas - from banning trans fats from food served at schools to providing tax credits to people below the poverty line who aren't eligible for Medicaid. The bill also would define charitable care for nonprofit hospitals more tightly than hospital groups would prefer.

One huge stumbling block: the price tag, which Raussen estimated at $150 million in the first year, rising $450 million to $500 million annually, if the whole bill were enacted. The state is expected to soon face a budget hole ranging from $733 million to $1.9 billion over the next 18 months.

Raussen offered no specific plan to pay for it, but said the bill isn't intended to take effect until the next budget cycle that begins in July 2009.

"We're trying to be forward-thinking here and be realistic about what the state can do under its current conditions," he said.

Reaction from business groups as well as a broad consumer coalition dedicated to overhauling Ohio's health care system was positive.

"Rep. Raussen's leadership today is commendable," said Ron Bridges, a member of the Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. "OCHC concurs that health care reform must involve making both health insurance and health care itself affordable."

The bill, which isn't as far-reaching as a universal health care coverage proposal floated by minority-party Democrats, is expected to run into opposition from the powerful Ohio Hospital Association. The package is sure to be the subject of a fierce lobbying battle involving hospitals, insurers, managed health care organizations and consumer groups.

Another ingredient in the health care reform stew: An advisory committee set up by Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland that has been meeting regularly with the goal of figuring out how to best cover an additional 500,000 adult Ohioans by 2011.

Recommendations from that group aren't expected for at least several more months, but are likely to compete with Raussen's plan as lawmakers decide what to move forward on.

"There may be some overlap, there may be some very different results," said Keith Dailey, Strickland's spokesman. "It remains to be seen."

Reference:

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/01/state_bill_would_extend_health.html