Health Headlines for Friday, February 12

Insurers Under Pressure to Improve Margins on Health Plans

Wall Street Journal

After most health insurers racked up financial losses on Affordable Care Act plans in 2014, many companies’ results for last year worsened, creating heavy pressure to improve performance this year.

Read the full article

Surprise Insurance Fees Often Follow Medical Emergencies

New York Times

Recovering from a medical procedure is always a challenge, but getting hit with unexpected insurance fees can add financial hardship to the process.

Read the full article

Why this health insurance CEO is concerned about a $15 minimum wage

Albany Business Review

The CEO of CDPHP says a minimum wage of $15 wouldn’t directly effect the non-profit health insurer but he’s still worried.

Read the full article

NY declares flu prevalent, orders safety steps

Democrat and Chronicle

Flu is widespread in the state, leading the Department of Health to require that health care workers who are not vaccinated against the virus must wear surgical masks when dealing with patients.

Read the full article

Sponsored story: Brush up on dental care

Democrat and Chronicle

Bright, healthy smiles start young, so teaching good dental habits to your children will benefit them for their entire lives – physically, socially, and even financially.

Read the full article

Cuomo defends state’s medical marijuana program

Capital New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday recognized that the state’s slow moving medical marijuana program is not “perfect,” but said he’d rather err on the side of caution than move it along too quickly.

Read the full article