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In late September, I, and other subject matter experts at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, spent a few mornings telling our producers and brokers (the people who help our clients find the right plan for themselves or their employees) all about what’s new from Blue for 2023 health plans.

It’s good information, and we wanted to take the time to share the highlights of my presentation (and a couple of others) with all of our Straight Talk listeners.

In this episode, learn more about the No Surprises Act, Medicaid Income Checks, Life, Dental and Vision coverage and Blue Cross’s Innovative Analytics & Care. I also talk about waiting on a fix to the family glitch. (Spoiler: the new rule was announced this week and I’ll break it down at www.StraightTalkLA.com soon.)

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Louisiana is opening back up. In this podcast, healthcare economist Mike Bertaut talks about the adjustments we are all making and why we can’t let our guards down. Mike also discusses the strong safety net Louisiana currently has for residents who lose their jobs and their health insurance during this pandemic.
Mike talks about the remarkable number of telehealth claims Blue Cross is processing right now, and goes into details about the data sharing partnership. In the podcast, we talk about a presentation that Blue Cross’s chief data officer, Somesh Nigam, led this week, during the federal Department of Health and Human Services’ Data Science CoLab demo day.

Welcome to our first podcast in the age of COVID-19. In this podcast, Mike and his producer, Lindsey, talk about what has changed at Blue Cross (about 90% of our employees are working from home), along with all of the things we are doing for our members. And what hasn’t changed — our reserves will help us continue to serve our customers.

They talk about why it’s vital to continue seeking treatment for regular health concerns. Emergencies like heart attacks and appendicitis don’t stop in the face of an emergency, but more Americans are delaying care for them, at a great risk. Mike discusses how telehealth can help get you figure out if and when you need to head to the hospital.

Mike covers other topics, including how the federal government is dispersing the first wave of COVID-19 payments to hospitals, Louisiana loosening restrictions on elective procedures and more.

In this episode of the Straight Talk podcast, Mike and Lindsey sit down to answer some questions from readers. From how the Health Insurance Tax is affecting your premiums (hint: they are taking a hit), to why insurers can't stop the bleeding that comes with the clause that requires insurers to accept people with pre-existing conditions. We also tackle what could happen if the ACA falls completely. Without it, Louisiana stands to lose a lot.

Straight Talk Episode 7 by BCBSLA

Listen to Mike tell it Straight! Our Straight Talk podcast series brings you the latest information and updates on healthcare reform, costs & quality.