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Weiss Ratings' Guide to HMO's and Health Insurers: A Quarterly Compilation of Health Insurance Company Ratings and Analysis. No. 17. Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.: Weiss Ratings, 1999. 562p. paper, $176 ($349 annual subscription) (ISBN 1-889499-53-6. ISSN 1081-- 2318. www.weissinc.com.
If you are seeking an HMO ratings guide to help choose an HMO or health insurance provider based on quality of care, this book isn't what you need. However, if you want a clear, unbiased evaluation of the financial stability of an HMO or health insurance company, this book provides that information in a format that is easy to use and understand.
Weiss Ratings collects financial data from state insurance commissions and a survey of the over five hundred HMOs and twelve hundred health insurance companies rated. It then analyzes this data to calculate financial indexes used to arrive at a final letter grade summarizing the financial strength and ability to cover medical losses of each company. The Weiss Safety Ratings are letter grades that range from A, excellent, to E, very weak, and F, failed.
The book containing the ratings is well-organized and free...