Rochester Business Journal

• Commercial Insurance Firms
  Information was provided by individual commercial insurance firms that responded to an email or fax survey; ranked by number of local personnel.
• State approves Excellus
  BCBS rate-hike requests
  The state Department of Financial Services on Thursday announced rulings on Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield’s 2013 rate requests, giving the Blues a weighted average 12.5 percent increase in Rochester-area small-group community-rated plan rates and shaving some 3 points of their 6.3 percent request for large-group HMO plans for an average 3.2 percent increase.
• Uninsured ranks grow in region
  The ranks of the uninsured among residents 65 and younger who are not eligible for Medicare grew in the Rochester area from 2008 to 2010, a newly published U.S. Census Bureau estimate shows. 
• Constellation Brands acquires Mark West wine brand
  Constellation Brands Inc. has completed its acquisition of the Mark West wine brand from Purple Wine Co. LLC for roughly $160 million, the Victor firm announced after markets closed Monday.
• Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield files requests for rate hikes
  Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield has filed requests with the state Department of Insurance for 2013 rate hikes of 6.3 percent to 19.9 percent on community-rated plans, Excellus officials said Friday.
• City insurance company renovates for growth
  
• City insurance company renovates for growth
  
• Excellus surpasses Affordable Care Act expectations
  Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield last year exceeded Affordable Care Act provisions requiring health plans to spend most of each premium dollar on enrollees’ medical expenses, Excellus officials said Wednesday.
• State fines Excellus nearly $1 million
  The state Department of Financial Services has hit Excellus BlueCross BlueShield with a nearly $1 million fine for improperly denying emergency department coverage and failing to explain coverage details to policy holders.
• Booth tapped as next Excellus CEO
  Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield on Monday named Christopher Booth, president and chief operating officer, as CEO elect. Widely expected to succeed CEO David Klein, Booth is slated to take the reins of the health insurer on Jan. 1. Klein announced plans Feb. 28 to retire at the end of this year.
• Excellus CEO Klein's compensation rises to $5.2M
  Compensation paid last year to Excellus BlueCross BlueShield CEO David Klein totaled $5.2 million, the Blues disclosed in a state filing Thursday. Klein’s 2011 compensation includes a $2.8 million bonus.
• Excellus awards $21M in improvement incentive payments
  Excellus BlueCross BlueShield awarded a total of $21.4 million to 53 hospitals in Upstate New York hospitals including nine Rochester-area facilities as a reward for demonstrating quality improvement, Excellus officials said Wednesday.
• Commercial Insurance Firms
  Information was provided by individual commercial insurance firms that responded to an email or fax survey; local area includes Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans and Wayne counties.
• Excellus takes over formerly outsourced program
  Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield has taken over its formerly outsourced disease management program, Excellus officials said Thursday.
• Excellus, MVP agree to disclose details of rate-hike requests
  Following the lead of the United Healthcare Group, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield and MVP Health Care have agreed to let New York make details of their rate-hike requests public.
• eHealth Global Technologies to boost staff
  
• Excellus, MVP plans rank among best in U.S.
  The National Committee on Quality Assurance 2011-’12 health insurance-plan rankings rate Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield’s HMO and point of service offerings and MVP Health Care’s MVP Gold Medicare and Medicaid plan among the best U.S. health insurance offerings.
• Plans for new department likely to reduce red tape
  
• Excellus hires CFO replacement
  Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield has hired a Rhode Island Blue Cross official to replace retiring Chief Financial Officer Emil Duda, Excellus officials said Thursday.
• Blues CFO Duda plans to retire this year
  Longtime Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield chief financial officer Emil Duda plans to retire at the end of this year, Excellus officials said Thursday.

RBJ Headlines

• The Ravioli Shop to shut down retail business
• Geneseo warplane museum gets new name
• Brooks to give State of the County address
• Omaha Steaks store opens in Pittsford
• Duffy: Off-campus firms in tax-free program must ink PILOT deals