Golden Rule Insurance Company

Golden Rule Insurance Company, a UnitedHealthcare company based in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A., has offered health insurance to individuals and families for more than 60 years. It offers a type of health insurance known as a health savings account (HSA), and was closely involved in the political discussions that led to the enactment of legislation that offered tax incentives to consumers who set up health savings accounts. In April 2007, Golden Rule launched HSAcenter.com (http://www.hsacenter.com/), a website that offers general, comprehensive information about HSAs so that consumers can better educate themselves about health savings accounts and how they work. Its political action committee has raised substantial funds for Republican politicians who support health savings accounts.

Golden Rule became a UnitedHealthcare company in 2003. UnitedHealthcare’s individual line of business, which includes Golden Rule, PacifiCare, American Medical Security (AMS), MAMSI, Oxford Health Plans and UnitedHealthcare administered by Golden Rule, currently offers PPO health insurance and HMO products to individuals and families in 40 states and the District of Columbia.

In the 1980s, the company sued the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the Illinois Department of Insurance, claiming that the ETS examination for Illinois insurance agents discriminated against members of minority groups. The parties reached a settlement. [1]

Affiliations

Golden Rule is closely affiliated with the Federation of American Consumers and Travelers, a not-for-profit consumer group.

External links

* [http://www.goldenrule.com/ Golden Rule Insurance Company]
* [http://healthinsurance.revcoday.com/ Texas Health Insurance]

References

* [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118643867027889758.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Wall Street Journal: Uninsured Grads Risk Finances Future Coverage (August 7, 2007)]
* [http://www.sbomag.com/articals/SYOB/2007/fall/healthy-venture/healthy.venture.html Small Business Opportunitites: Small Biz Owners are Tapping into Health Savings Plans (Fall 2007)]
* [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/062107dnbusuninsured.3ba25bd.html Dallas Morning News, Many young adults go without health coverage (June 21, 2007)]
* [http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/frontpage/54858.php Tucson Citizen: Young Gards Worst Off Among the Uninsured (June 18, 2007)]
* [http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/health/stories/MYSA041007.01E.HSA_Improvements.2be6b68.html San Antonio Express-News, A lifesaver for the self-employed (April 9, 2007)]
* [http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/BUSINESS02/703200356 Tallahassee Democrat, Health savings accounts save you money, taxes (March 28, 2007)]
* [http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1996/01/medikill.html?welcome=true Mother Jones magazine, January/February 1996 - MediKill, By Robert Dreyfuss and Peter H. Stone. News: Golden Rule Insurance has lavished campaign funds on Gingrich and the GOP in order to promote its medical savings account scheme--and destroy Medicare.]
* [http://www.pww.org/article/view/5386/1/220/ People's Weekly World Newspaper, 06/17/04 12:14 Bush: ‘Pioneering’ and privatizing Medicare] Mentions that UnitedHealth Group's CEO raised funds for the George W. Bush reelection campaign and that UnitedHealth acquired Golden Rule shortly before health savings account legislation was passed in the U.S. Congress.]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9B01E6D91139F937A25757C0A960958260 The New York Times, April 14, 1996 G.O.P. Plan Would Profit Insurer With Ties to Party, by Robert Pear]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E4DB1239F93BA25752C1A963958260&sec=health The New York Times, November 18, 1995 - Battle over the Budget - Medical Care; In G.O.P. Plan, Some See a Widening Gap Between Sick and Healthy]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/tax/stories/tax122495.htm Washington Post, Sunday, December 24, 1995, Page A01 - Favored Few Stand to Gain From Republican Tax Cuts, By Clay Chandler, Washington Post Staff Writer] Discusses health savings accounts and Golden Rule's political contributions