North Bay Business Journal

Wellpoint, Anthem to put higher premium on primary care

NORTH BAY — WellPoint Inc., the nation’s largest health insurance company and parent of Anthem Blue Cross, said it will pay physicians a higher reimbursement rate for primary care, a move aimed at reducing overall costs by rewarding preventative and quality care while hopefully addressing a nationwide physician shortage.

George Petersen Insurance completes move into new quarters

George Petersen Insurance Agency completed its move from one College Ave. location in Santa Rosa to another, at 175 West College Ave. last week, which was the result of the company absorbing NorthWest Insurance in 2010.

Bills mandating coverage for mental, other illness pass assembly

CALIFORNIA — Two recently passed state Assembly bills will require private health insures to cover the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and developmental disorders such as autism

People: Week of Jan. 30, 2012

Click here for photo gallery Health Care The Northern California Center for Well-Being has hired Annette Zucconi as its new operations manager as part of its leadership team. Ms. Zucconi has dedicated over 20 years to non-profit community education work and brings a breadth of curriculum development, contract and program management experience to the Center [...]

Employers urged to prepare in 2012 for health care reform

NORTH BAY — Nearly two years after its passage, health care reform and much of its measures hang in the balance of what promises to be a politically charged U.S. Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the individual mandate requiring individuals to purchase health insurance. But while politicos and pundits await the decision and its implications, health insurance experts in the North Bay said most of the reforms are here to stay, even in the event that the mandate is struck down.

Partnership HealthPlan sets big employment push

FAIRFIELD — Partnership HealthPlan of California said it is undergoing a significant expansion that includes plans to grow its 280-person workforce by as much as 30 percent through 2014, while having created over 60 jobs in 2011.

People news: Week of Jan. 2, 2012

News about north San Francisco Bay area professionals

Q&A: Rob Davenport, Wells Fargo Insurance Services

Rob Davenport recently joined Wells Fargo Insurance Services as a wellness consultant to its employee benefits offices throughout California. He previously worked on implementing large-scale wellness approaches for employers like the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Pacific Coast Companies, Inc., among many others. Most recently, he was the wellness program manager for NASA at the Johnson Space Center. All told, he’s been working in the wellness field for the past 25 years.

Mr. Davenport recently shared his thoughts with the Business Journal, particularly on how wellness can have an impact on employers health insurance rates.

People: Week of Dec. 12, 2011

Banking and Finance Summit State Bank  hired Britt Cooper as its senior vice president branch relationship manager. Mr. Cooper has 28 years of banking experience in Sonoma County. He has been a branch manager and commercial banker, both with the vice president title. He has his Master’s Degree in organizational development and human resources from [...]

North Bay groups among recipients of Kaiser grants

As part of an investment of more than $5.1 million by Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Community Benefit, four local organizations received funding to increase access to chronic disease management, enhance health screenings, and improve prevention of heart disease and stroke.

2012 Insurance Outlook: Vantreo Insurance Brokerage

Questions for Pamela Chanter, Vice President, Vantreo Insurance Brokerage: What do you see as the trends in business insurance for 2012? What trends do you see in employee benefits for 2012, in cost and in design? What issues are clients asking about most often and what are you telling them?

2012 Insurance Outlook: Wells Fargo Insurance Services

Questions for Mark Stokes, Regional Managing Director, and John Fradelizio, Managing Director, Wells Fargo Insurance Services: What do you see as the trends in business insurance for 2012? What trends do you see in employee benefits for 2012, in cost and in design? What issues are clients asking about most often and what are you telling them?

2012 Insurance Outlook: George Petersen Insurance

Questions for Robb Daer, Principal, George Petersen Insurance: What do you see as the trends in business insurance for 2012? What trends do you see in employee benefits for 2012, in cost and in design? What issues are clients asking about most often and what are you telling them?

2012 Insurance Outlook: EPIC Insurance

Questions for Bill Merget and Victor McKnight, Principals, EPIC Insurance: What do you see as the trends in business insurance for 2012? What trends do you see in employee benefits for 2012, in cost and in design? What issues are clients asking about most often and what are you telling them?

Gains seen for both parties in possible Palm pact

The Palm Drive Healthcare District’s recent vote to begin exclusive negotiations for affiliating with Marin General Hospital has the potential to help the long-struggling Sebastopol hospital stabilize, while creating an expansive network of alliances between numerous district hospitals across the North Bay that might otherwise struggle for survival.

Jill Kinney: Health clubs can play an even larger role in wellness

Jill Kinney, the founder and of Club One, Inc. and the managing director of Clubsource, began working in corporate wellness in 1979, for a Marin County cardiologist who she said decided to take a proactive approach to health, particularly executives. She was chief operating officer of Western Athletic Clubs for eight years before she started Club One.

Marin-Sonoma IPA, Health Net offering Medicare Advantage plan

SONOMA COUNTY — The Marin-Sonoma IPA has joined with Health Net to provide Medicare Advantage plans for Sonoma County seniors in the wake of a coverage agreement between Sutter Health and UnitedHealthcare.

Marin-Sonoma IPA, Health Net offer Medicare Plan for Sonoma County residents

SONOMA COUNTY — Marin-Sonoma IPA has joined with Health Net to provide Medicare plans for Sonoma County seniors in the wake of a coverage agreement between Sutter Health and UnitedHealthcare.

Kaiser Medicare plans in California receive top ratings

CALIFORNIA — Kaiser Permanente said today that two of its Medicare plans in California received an overall rating of five stars from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the year 2012.

Sutter, UnitedHealthcare partner on Medicare plan

SANTA ROSA — Sutter Health and Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare have introduced a new Medicare Advantage plan from some 78,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Sonoma County, the two organizations announced this morning.