UnitedHealth accused of shortchanging patients

Led by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a phalanx of interests charged Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth and its Ingenix division with denying millions of dollars in claims for millions of Americans when they use doctors outside of their insurer’s network.
Cuomo said Wednesday that he plans to sue UnitedHealth, launch an industrywide investigation into billing procedures and […]

Health care remains a top voter concern

Health care remains a top voter concern. Here’s some help on candidates’ stated positions:
Q Will all Americans be covered by health insurance?
Clinton: Yes. Huckabee, McCain, Obama: No.
Clinton would mandate that all individuals have health insurance. She has not specified how this would be enforced. Obama proposes a stepped approach starting with a mandate to cover […]

Nick Coleman: State of the Ace: Problems in spades putting state in a hole

ST. CLOUD - Gov. Tim Pawlenty gave Minnesota a sloppy Valentine on Wednesday, telling a hand-picked audience at the St. Cloud Civic Center that we have an unstoppable forward momentum toward greatness.
Greatness was the message of his State of the State Address — delivered to a small audience of invited big shots (and 75 empty […]

Measure of a Nation: Sweeping Societal Changes Buffet US Politics

MUNCIE, Ind.
- It’s almost noon, almost time for what drew Carey Youngblood and his pals to the abandoned General Motors plant. Hands tucked deep in dirty jeans pockets, the factory men stomp their feet to stay warm as the countdown begins.(Ten … Nine …)Youngblood, a stocky 47-year-old […]

Netlets for Monday, March 31

The assertion by Mark Dayton (This time, let’s be fair about the budget gap, March 24) that the richest people in Minnesota don’t pay their fair share of taxes is without merit.
It’s not his fault. Dayton cites a study that attempts to allocate all state taxes (franchise, property, excise, personal sales and corporate sales taxes) […]

Remember state’s pledge to fight poverty

We’re in the midst of a hard budget year in this state. Choices loom. These choices reflect the kind of people we want to be.
In 2004, more than 30 heads of religious bodies in this state signed A Common Foundation: Shared Principles for Work on Overcoming Poverty. Two years later, much of the language […]

Small fund offers hope for small start-up firms

With one successful start-up under his belt, John Fraser thought it would be easier to raise money for his latest venture, Mednet USA.
He was wrong.
It has been just as difficult, Fraser said. I can’t even imagine the difficulty for someone without experience, but has a great idea.
Fortunately for Fraser, a new venture capital fund […]

UnitedHealth accused of shortchanging patients

Led by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a phalanx of interests charged Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth and its Ingenix division with denying millions of dollars in claims for millions of Americans when they use doctors outside of their insurer’s network.
Cuomo said Wednesday that he plans to sue UnitedHealth, launch an industrywide investigation into billing procedures and […]

Health care remains a top voter concern

Health care remains a top voter concern. Here’s some help on candidates’ stated positions:
Q Will all Americans be covered by health insurance?
Clinton: Yes. Huckabee, McCain, Obama: No.
Clinton would mandate that all individuals have health insurance. She has not specified how this would be enforced. Obama proposes a stepped approach starting with a mandate to cover […]

Nick Coleman: State of the Ace: Problems in spades putting state in a hole

ST. CLOUD - Gov. Tim Pawlenty gave Minnesota a sloppy Valentine on Wednesday, telling a hand-picked audience at the St. Cloud Civic Center that we have an unstoppable forward momentum toward greatness.
Greatness was the message of his State of the State Address — delivered to a small audience of invited big shots (and 75 empty […]