News Briefs
Health insurance plan: new option for low-income Kansas residents
Low-income Kansas residents, who have not had health insurance for more than a year, may qualify for a new program that promises half-price premiums, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas announced this week.
Named “Value Blue,” the new program will create a network with hospitals and doctors in most Kansas counties, including Sedgwick. Physicians will accept half the fee they normally receive from the insurance company for their services and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has eliminated the administrative fees associated with normal policies. The policy will be available starting March 1.
Kansas residents will need to submit a federal income tax return because there are income guidelines that must be met to be accepted into the program. Illegal legal immigrants would not qualify for the program.
The only two counties not participating in Value Blue are Butler and Harvey counties. Sixteen counties have health care providers that have opted to be part of Value Blue.
The program has been endorsed by the Kansas Medical Society, Kansas Hospital Association and Kansas Insurance Commissioner, Sandy Praeger.
Value Blue is available with either coverage for prescription drugs or access to a prescription drug discount card. To be eligible enrollees must have a annual gross income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. That’s $1,595 a month for one-person households or $3,225 a month for a household of four.
For more information call 800-874-1823.LWG
LWG Consulting acquires Chicago Data Recovery Inc.
LWG Consulting, providers of technical expertise regarding disasters involving high technology equipment, recently announced the acquisition of the assets of Chicago Data Recovery, Inc., effective January 1, 2006.
Since its inception in 1984, LWG Consulting is best known for providing technical expertise in the wake of disasters such as fires, floods, terrorism and chemical contamination that have affected critical high technology devices and electronic equipment.
The firm has offices located throughout the United States and Canada, with data recovery laboratories in St. Louis Park, Minn., Columbus, Ohio, and Northbrook, Ill.