I watched the Affordable Care Act completely change the way health insurance is paid for and delivered over the past decade. Today, I think it’s prudent to apply some of what I’ve learned on those front lines to the current healthcare debate: Medicare for All.

As you might expect, there are many risks and many unknowns in this proposed massive undertaking that would re-route 20% of our country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Here are the top 10 things I believe will have to be carefully thought out before such a program has a chance of success. Read more

Today, I want to introduce you to a remarkable woman leading our information technology division here at Blue Cross. Sue Kozik has built a career in healthcare IT, and now she’s bringing that expertise to Blue Cross.

With her passion for using smart technology to support business strategy, Sue is leading fundamental changes in Blue Cross’ IT, strategy and project management approach. By modernizing our technology, Sue is enabling our members to make better healthcare choices with better information available to them. Read more

Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2019. If you have Medicare, this is the time to make changes to your plan. But before you do, it’s important to understand how it all works.

Here’s a quick breakdown of Medicare:

Part A covers care you get when you are in the hospital, in a skilled nursing facility, in hospice or, in very limited circumstances, when you are at home. Read more

According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll, which asks Americans about healthcare topics each month, support for Medicare-for-all, which we’ve called “single–payer healthcare” in these pages, has narrowed in recent months. In a poll conducted Oct. 3 – 8, 2019, 51% of those polled said they favor a national health plan and 47% opposed. That’s a 5% drop since the beginning of the year.

It seems Americans are starting to think similarly to me – single-payer healthcare will narrow our choices when it comes to healthcare. Read more

I’m back today to continue our series introducing you to some of the amazing people who work here at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Our company is on the cutting edge of data innovation, and I want to tell you more about the person in charge of that program.

Somesh Nigam, Ph. D., is our chief analytics and data officer. He goes by his first name around the office. Read more

In my lifetime, I have been blessed to see advances in medical science that literally saved my life.

In 1983, at 22 years old, I was diagnosed with a malignant form of bone cancer in my right femur. Cancer was, of course, much more of a deadly condition back then. I qualified for a clinical trial with four other male subjects who were about my age and had the same condition. I was given a brand-new chemotherapy combination in a brand-new delivery method, and within three months, 80% of my tumor was dead or inactive. Read more