INSURER EXAM BILL UP FOR COMMITTEE VOTE Senate Bill 1031 (Laughlin-R-Erie) is being taken up by the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee January 30.  It would require a written estimate of insurance company examination costs being given to the carrier along with...

DEPARTMENT ADVANCES MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT RULES The PA Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) received a regulation from the PA Insurance Department January 9 updating minimum Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) to reflect changes in the Federal law and to...

INSURANCE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES UPMC-HIGHMARK ACCESS ON January 4, Governor Tom Wolf announced that UPMC and Highmark agreed to continue permitting some in-network access to the policyholders of both companies.  The two have been operating under a Consent Agreement...

WHAT IS ON THE PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR FOR 2018? Although the General Assembly will not return to active session until January 23, there are several bills of interest to the Health Insurance Community on the voting calendars of the House and Senate.  ...

CHIP RENEWAL SIGNED INTO LAW On December 15, Governor Wolf signed House Bill 1388 (Irvin-R-Mifflin/Centre/Huntington) into law.  CHIP was re-authorized through December 31, 2019 or 90 days after Federal funding for CHIP ceases.  The amendment allows for an extension...

SESSION DAYS ANNOUNCED FOR 2018 House                         Senate January                       2,22,23,24                   2,22,23,24,29,30,31 February                      5,6,7                            5,6,7 March                         ...