Free Republic

“I need a crash cart, stat!” The political prospects for major U.S. healthcare reform have taken a decided turn for the worse in recent days (at least from the point of view of many Democrats). And you don’t need to be some totally plugged-in Washington insider to understand that. Just take a look-see at the stock market performance of industry players such as Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealth Group, and WellPoint. Shares have been trending higher of late. What’s been slowly dawning on Wall Street is that the legislative process in Washington is unlikely to produce a national public health insurance option...

WESTWOOD -- A Northridge teenager awaiting a liver transplant died Thursday after she was pulled off of life support. CIGNA Insurance Company initially refused to cover the cost of the transplant for Natalee Sarkisian, saying the surgery was too experimental. On Thursday, friends, family and members of a nurses association held a protest outside CIGNA headquarters in Glendale, urging the insurance company to reconsider. During the protest, Natalee's mother got word CIGNA had changed its mind and would make an exception for Natalee's surgery. But the decision came too late for Natalee. Just after six o'clock tonight, her condition worsened....

The family of a California teenager who died awaiting a liver transplant said they would sue the insurer whom they blame for their daughter's death. Nataline Sarkisyan, a 17-year-old from Glendale, Calif., died Thursday just a few hours after her insurer, Cigna HealthCare, approved a procedure it had previously described as "too experimental." Attorney Mark Geragos said that Cigna "maliciously killed her" and that he hopes to press murder or manslaughter charges against Cigna HealthCare for the death of Sarkisyan. District Attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons declined to comment on the request for murder or manslaughter charges, saying it would be...

Link only per protocol www.wwj.com/Transplant-Decision-Too-Late--Teen-Dies/1376284

Under an agreement with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the health insurance company Cigna will redesign its doctor-ranking program to add transparency, accuracy, and oversight to the process. Under the agreement announced yesterday, Cigna will fully disclose to its customers how the rankings are devised. The new process will include detailed descriptions if rankings are at all based on cost, and there will be a process for consumers to register complaints. Cigna will also be required to hire an independent monitor to oversee the process. The monitor will report to Mr. Cuomo's office every six months. The new ranking system will...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. health insurer Cigna Corp. on Friday said it would cut about 9 percent of its work force, or 3,000 jobs, after its membership ranks fell sharply in the fourth quarter, sending its shares tumbling. Cigna, struggling to recover after failing to price premiums in line with skyrocketing medical costs in recent years, posted a fourth-quarter net profit but also said it would slash its quarterly dividend. Analysts said they are skeptical that the company's proposed remedies will improve Cigna's woes with customer service, gauging medical costs, and...