NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care industry intelligence, finds that the five multistate HMOs that file results in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia reported solid if not spectacular profits in 2004. According to the latest issue of Mid-Atlantic Health Plan Analysis from HealthLeaders- InterStudy, competition in healthcare quality measures will increase health plan investment in information technology.
“Large employers that offer health plans are demanding better and better performance in managing medical costs,” said Ms. Jan Shuxteau, HealthLeaders- InterStudy analyst. “In order to keep business, health plans have to show improvement in claims data analysis, predictive health-risk modeling, and identification of the highest-performance providers.”
Mid-Atlantic health plans are also offering an increasing selection of consumer-driven healthcare products, however, since the likely purchasers of such products already show low medical costs, savings are likely to be minimal.
Other health plan news in the Mid-Atlantic region: -- Virginia retirees, many accustomed to membership in Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield managed care plans while employed, are expected to be a key market for Anthem’s new Medicare Advantage PPO. -- Maryland required some insurers to offer limited-benefits policies to small employers that could not previously afford health insurance for their employees. -- Health-insurance premiums for federal employees increased by 7.9 percent in 2005, the smallest increase in five years. About HealthLeaders-InterStudy
HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a company of Decision Resources, Inc. (http://www.DecisionResources.com), is the authoritative source for managed care data, analysis, and news. For more information, please visit http://www.HealthLeaders-InterStudy.com.
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Contact: Alex Jablokow Decision Resources 781-296-2562 ajablokow@dresources.com
HealthLeaders-InterStudy
CONTACT: Alex Jablokow of Decision Resources, +1-781-296-2562,ajablokow@dresources.com