Blues hearings: A chance to weigh in on a complex merger

Health-care experts point to a looming crisis: 47 million uninsured; family premiums up 78 percent in six years - enough to price individuals and employers out of insurance - and medical care consuming an ever-larger slice of the U.S. economy.

There's more.

Doctors, employers and insurers increasingly chart the link between rising health-care costs and common conditions such as diabetes and obesity. That is opening the way for electronic medical records and other systems that can keep track of patient health along with complex paperwork.

Meanwhile, insurance companies, hospitals and doctors' practices all are consolidating to achieve greater clout even as many call for a single-payer system.

It's a big issue, but this week in Philadelphia, there's an opportunity to look at it through a very local lens as speakers line up to testify at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department's hearings on the proposed merger of Independence Blue Cross and Highmark Inc.

The merger, an example of consolidation, would create the state's largest insurer. One reason the two Blues want to merge? To save money on advanced technology.

But hospitals and doctors worry about the potential clout of a merged organization as they bargain over reimbursements. Businesses want stabilized premiums. Advocates seek help for the uninsured and better care for all.

The drill: Public hearings on the proposed merger are scheduled at the Sheraton Center City, 201 N. 17th St., on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to conclusion.

Watch the hearings at . The link will be live only during the hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday.