NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ Reports on Cross-Border Health Plans
NPR's "All Things Considered" on Wednesday reported on U.S. health insurance companies that offer "cross-border" health plans, which cover health services provided in both the United States and Mexico. Blue Shield of California and Health Net of California offer cross-border health plans, which cost about $250 to $300 per month for a family of four, or about half the cost of most U.S.-only plans. NPR reports that Gov. Gray Davis (D) has encouraged more employers to offer similar programs and that state officials hope the low-cost coverage will "relieve overburdened" local hospitals and reduce the number of uninsured state residents. The segment includes comments from Davis; former American Medical Association President Dr. Richard Corlin; Anna Andrade from the Health Net Salud con Health Net program; and Frank Carillo, head of SIMNSA Health Care, the first Mexican HMO licensed in California (Del Barco, "All Things Considered," NPR, 8/21). The full segment is available in RealPlayer Audio online.
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