In a landmark development, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has reached a $2.8 billion settlement to resolve antitrust claims brought by health care providers, including chiropractors. The lawsuit accused BCBS of dividing the nation into exclusive regions and limiting competition, which resulted in lower reimbursements for providers. Although BCBS denies any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the settlement to avoid lengthy litigation – and you can get a piece of the pie.
Getting Your Daily Dose of the Web
Nearly half of all Americans who have Internet access now browse the World Wide Web every day, according to a survey released by the Emerging Technologies Group. Results show that the daily and weekly usage of both the World Wide Web and e-mail has risen dramatically in just the past two years.
The random survey, conducted between February and April 1997, shows that of the 31 million American adults with Internet access, 49% (approximately 15.2 million) browse on the World Wide Web every day. In 1995, only 36% of users surfed the Web every day. In terms of weekly statistics, 88% of all users now browse the web at least once a week, up from 81% in 1995.
The use of e-mail has also dramatically increased. Sending and/or receiving e-mail is a daily routine for 59% of all American adults on the Internet; only 47% used e-mail programs every day in 1995. In 1997, 89% use e-mail one or more times a week, compared to the 78% in 1995.
You can find the complete results of the 1997 American Internet User Survey at [url=http://etrg.findsvp.com/internet/overview.html]http://etrg.findsvp.com/internet/overview.html[/url].