January 7
Blue Cross Reinstates Californians
After being scrutinized by the state and various investigative organizations, Blue Cross has agreed to reinstate the roughly 700 California citizens whose policy was cancelled as a result of illness. The organization has also agreed to reimburse customers who paid for medical expenses out of pocket. As a result, the state has dropped its case against Blue Cross and is no longer requiring that the company pay over $12 million in fines. Blue Cross has also agreed to change the way it administers its customers, although the company admits to no wrongdoing. Action has recently been taken against insurance companies for purposefully making applications confusing and effectively trying to trick customers into making mistakes so that coverage could be denied later on. How will these types of practices be affected in the coming months with the health insurance reform movement?