LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Humana: Humana Health
built 635 days ago
Humana Inc. is rolling out the healthcare industry's first Internet-enabled health plan. Tags: Portals, Vertical industries, Web technology, Benefits, HEALTHCARE, Paul Baldwin, Bruce Goodman, Humana Inc., health care, portal Technical articles 2000-04-10
Source:
By the early 1990s Humana's healthcare plans&mdash′imarily managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs)--had grown into a $2 billion business with 1.7 million plan participants. Although dogged by a series of charges--overcharging patients for services, using misleading sales tactics, seeking improper Medicare expense reimbursements--that brought ongoing negative publicity, the company's health plan division was much healthier than the hospital side. With its hospitals continuing to post declining profits because of industry-wide cost-containment efforts and falling admissions of full-paying patients (those not covered through government-sponsored plans), Humana decided in 1993 to stake its future on managed healthcare plans. In March of that year, the company spun off the hospital division--including 76 Humana hospitals (most of the company's total)--into a new and separate company called Galen Health Care, Inc. Within six months of the spinoff, Galen merged with Columbia Hospital Corp. (later known as Columbia/HCA after a merger with Hospital Corp. of America).
Source:
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the largest publicly traded health benefits companies in the United States of America, with approximately 7 million medical members. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health insurance products and related services - through traditional and consumer-choice plans - to employer groups, government- sponsored plans, and individuals. Over its 44-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.
Source:
A 2004 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Aetna vs. Davila made it more difficult for disgruntled patients to sue HMOs, such as Humana, in cases where plaintiffs who receive their health plans from employers are claiming a denial of medical care. The high court ruled those cases fall under the Federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which applies to most of the millions who receive HMO care through their employers and limits the amount of damages that can be recovered in a negligence lawsuit to actual losses. Smelik v. Humana was pleaded as a mismanaged Managed Care case. The Smelik verdict potentially gives new hope to HMO enrollees who are under ERISA and believe that Aetna v. Davila pre-empts their ability to sue their HMO when HMOs demonstrate negligence, fraud, substandard care or denial of benefits.
Source:
Humana Medicare Advantage (formerly known as Medicare+Choice) is available to all Medicare-eligible individuals. This type of health plan is an alternative to original Medicare and is a direct result of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 passed by Congress. Unlike original Medicare, Humana Medicare Advantage plans include a prescription drug benefit, limits on out-of-pocket expenses, and worldwide coverage for emergency care and urgently needed care.
Source:
Humana began marketing health savings account services to individuals and companies in 2003 and entered into a business partnership with Richard Branson's Virgin in 2005. The Business Health Care Group of Southeast Wisconsin (BHCGSW) chose Humana as its administrative partner to drive Southeastern Wisconsin health care costs to the Midwest average in 2005, using a strategy that includes consumer education, providing cost and quality information on health care providers, structuring accountability of all stakeholders and collective purchasing. Today, the BHCGSW represents more than 200 member companies, including large and small employers representing more than 150,000 health care consumers in Southeastern Wisconsin.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Humana Health