Morning Briefing: Are hospitals taking advantage of privately insured children?

Are hospitals taking advantage of privately insured children?... New dental plans launched by TruAssure… Drones usage in insurance industry set to surge…

Morning Briefing: Are hospitals taking advantage of privately insured children?

Insurance News

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Are hospitals taking advantage of privately insured children?
Children covered by private health insurance are more likely to be admitted to hospitals than those covered by public insurance but the outcome is frequently the same, a new study claims.

Co-author Janet Currie of Princeton University says that the issue may not be that children covered by programs such as Medicaid are not admitted to hospital when they should be.

"Maybe the problem is that too many privately insured children are being hospitalized when they don't really need it," she asks.

Currie and co-author Diane Alexander looked at emergency room data from a New Jersey hospital over a 7-year period and discovered that, even considering control conditions such as the same diagnosis, those children covered by programs such as Medicaid were less likely to be admitted.

"That sounds kind of sinister, but we see absolutely no evidence it results in any increased return trips to the emergency room or that those who return are sicker," Currie says. "As far as we can see, yes, people are being turned away because they have public health insurance, but there's no health consequence."

The research is part of a wider study into the potential over-treatment of privately insured patients.
 
New dental plans launched by TruAssure
Benefits carrier TruAssure Insurance Company has launched a comprehensive set of new dental plan options for both small and large companies, along with individuals and families.

The Illinois-based insurer says the plans, which offer flexible, standalone dental coverage, have been launched in response to growing demand.

Dental insurance is a valued benefit that helps employers attract and retain the best employees. TruAssure’s flexible dental plans provide employers with straightforward, affordable options that keep their employees healthy and reduce administrative headaches,” said Bernie Glossy, CEO of TruAssure Insurance Company.

The programs - Max Savings, Choice and Choice Plus — include a variety of options and benefits that many other carriers don’t offer, such as three teeth cleanings per year and composite (white) fillings on all teeth. 

They are available in 26 states.
 
Drones usage in insurance industry set to surge
The use of drones in the global insurance industry is set to surge to a market value of $3.57 billion between 2017 and 2025 with 1.55 million units shipped.

The primary uses of unmanned aircraft for insurers will be claims processing, risk assessment and property appraisal, a report from Research and Markets.

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