Area Catholics To Challenge Birth Control Decision
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Over the weekend, Catholics across South Carolina heard the same message during Masses. Bishop Robert Guglielmone, of the Diocese of Charleston, had instructed church leaders to read his statement about a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate. The HHS rule would require church-affiliated hospitals and colleges to provide insurance coverage for birth control starting in August 2013. In the letter read aloud during mass, Guglielmone described the rule as "a direct attack on our religious freedom and our First Amendment rights." "Catholics are, in a sense, going to be forced to subsidize -- through insurance payments -- these activities that the church considers to be immoral," Guglielmone told WYFF. "Everything we do in terms of service to the people has to come from a Catholic perspective because that's who we are." The measure would apply to Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville. In a written statement to WYFF, Peggy Moseley, vice president of corporate communications for Bon Secours Health System, expressed disappointment with the rule. "We will continue to work with the Catholic Health Association to try to get a revision that is more compatible with our values," Moseley wrote. She added that the rule will not affect the way health care services are currently delivered. Erin Shields, communications director for HHS, told WYFF that the new policy is part of the Obama administration's efforts to increase access to preventative care services. The measure requires health insurance plans to cover contraceptive services without charging a co-pay, co-insurance or a deductible. It does not cover drugs that cause abortion, Shields said. Sheilds said the rule does provide coverage for FDA-approved drugs listed under what is categorized by the agency as "emergency contraception." That includes Plan B, Plan B One-Step, Next Choice and Ella.Group Health Insurance Sc - News
He needs to appreciate that the number of Americans without health insurance has actually increased to just under 50 million people, over the past year, and that, in distressed cities around the country, even the agencies that have been responsible for
GREENVILLE, SC -- Over the weekend, Catholics across South Carolina heard the same message during services. Bishop Robert Guglielmone, of the Diocese of Charleston, had instructed church leaders to read his statement about a US Department of Health and
Health News from AP By Ray Rivera - email The Bishop of Charleston is speaking out against a new health insurance policy mandated by the Obama administration. The policy requires employers to cover contraceptives, sterilization and the morning after
South Carolina and New York. Chairman of Hull Barrett's litigation department and team leader of the firm's medical negligence practice group, Mr. Painter's practice focuses on representing hospitals, physicians, nursing homes and other health care
LONG-TERM-CARE INSURANCE: Voting 267 for and 159 against, the House on Feb. 1 sent the Senate a bill to repeal the 2010 health law's section on long-term-care insurance. The program already had been shelved by the administration on grounds it would not
S.C. BlueCross Group of Companies Earns Highest Financial Rating ...
COLUMBIA, SC - February 2, 2012 - A.M. Best Co. recently affirmed the financial strength rating of A+ (Superior) of BlueCross and BlueShield of South Carolina's group of companies. The outlook for this rating is stable.
"A+ (Superior) is currently the highest rating assigned to any health insurer by A.M. Best., and only one other health insurer in the country holds it besides us," said Mike Mizeur, BlueCross executive vice president and chief financial officer. "BlueCross - representing a group of 45 companies - has worked hard to achieve it every year now for 10 years. It means our customers can depend on us for stability, excellence and leadership."
In the latest report received in January 2012 for 2011 performance, A.M. Best had the following comments:
"The organization's infrastructure, with its multiple specialty insurance and administration subsidiaries, was strategically developed to operate in a complementary and highly efficient manner allowing (BlueCross) to be the only health insurer and administrator to compete in all customer segments in South Carolina. In conjunction with other Blue Cross and Blue Shield partners, (BlueCross) operates a National Alliance program that provides significant business diversification to the organization's business and membership mix.
"The organization has strong information technology, administrative and service capabilities that have placed it as a leader in the distribution of government programs, while its membership in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association provides access to national commercial business through the National BlueCard program." Founded in 1899 and headquartered in Oldwick, N.J., A.M. Best Company ( www.ambest.com ) is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source.
A.M. Best annually rates BlueCross as a group of companies as well as rating some of its subsidiaries individually. BlueCross also undergoes a financial examination by the S.C. Department of Insurance, and it has audits conducted by outside companies.