Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the largest nonprofit health insurer in New York, has been fined $1.1 million by the state's insurance regulators.
Among other things, Empire was charged with denying health coverage to certain patients:
Denying advanced chemotherapy and bone marrow treatments to some women with breast cancer, while approving treatments for others.The $1.1 million fine is the largest ever levied against a health insurer in the state of New York. Since the time of these infractions, Empire has seen the number of policyholders reduced by approximately 50 percent (to 4.8 million).Denying in vitro fertilization procedures to some while approving the procedure for others.
Paying physical therapists for certain procedures, but denying payment to chiropractors for the identical procedures.
While Empire has positioned a new management team to recoup its losses, the fine should send a clear message to other carriers. The New York Insurance Department is expected to keep a close watch on Empire over the next three years.
This article focuses on nine severe injuries that are generally not diagnosable until the third to fourth week following the date of injury, including how to diagnose these severe injuries. The discovery of any of these injuries early can make a significant difference in the case outcome.
| Digital Exclusive
Dr. Anthony Delitto, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has announced that the SHRS will begin offering a Doctor of Chiropractic program in fall 2025, with applications accepted this fall. The program is the first at a research-intensive public university in the U.S. and the only chiropractic program headed by a faculty member with NIH research funding, according to the press release.
While canes, braces and posts represent extrinsic methods for lessening adductor moment arms, an intrinsic method for lessening the development of medial knee osteoarthritis occurs when the hip abductor musculature and the iliotibial band are strong enough to create a compressive force capable of stabilizing the lateral knee.
