His kidneys had failed, leaving nothing to keep his own body fluids from killing him his mom, Fran, was worried she might lose him.

As he lay in intensive care at Angleton Danbury Medical Center, the doctor bluntly told Fran Searcy that, although her son was in stable condition, he would need close care and dialysis for the rest of his life unless he could get two kidney transplants and a pancreas. If the diabetic 22-year-old even qualified for a transplant, Searcy could wait for years before a donor can be found.

In the meantime, his job as a cashier didnt come with health insurance and his bills were stacking up.

After visiting with him in the ICU, Joan Wynn is doing what she their nightmare. As a member of the Jesus Lovin Biker Babes, she is collecting donations to auction Saturday at the Texas Motorcycle Drag Races at Angleton Raceway.

Children Need Medical Care, Too

Say this much for our president: He is consistent. Back in the 1990s, when he was still governor of Texas, he had an opportunity to help some of his neediest constituents get affordable medical care. The federal government had just created the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or S-CHIP, making billions in new spending available to states that created public insurance programs for poor kids and their families. While even some of his fellow Republican governors were jumping at the opportunity, Bush balked. The program might get expensive in the long run, he feared. And, oh dear, it would mean more government. So Bush fought efforts to create an expansive S-CHIP program in Texas, arguing a minimalist version would be better, even though the state had one of the highest proportions of uninsured residents in the country.

EDS Signs Claims Administration Contract With Dean Health Insurance

PLANO, Texas and MADISON, Wis., July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- EDS today announced an agreement with Dean Health Insurance, one of the largest and most diversified managed care organizations in the Midwest, to implement EDS' MetaVance(R) Administration and Finance System. This agreement will allow Dean Health Insurance to improve productivity and efficiency, enable growth and ultimately improve service to its 275,000 members. Financial details were not disclosed.

MetaVance is a highly scalable system designed to automate core administrative processes such as enrollment, provider management and claims processing and features a flexible, adaptable, service-oriented architecture.

Texas university students grapple with rising health care costs

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Jul 05, 2007 (The Battalion, U-WIRE via COMTEX) -- Luis Botello, a senior communication major, is looking forward to graduating from Texas A&M University in August. When he is not busy with school he performs with a local rock band called "The Restless," and sings for Aggieland Mariachi. He participates in activities many college students enjoy and anticipates a job with a marketing firm after college. Beyond worrying about the usual tests or grades, one thing Botello says he constantly has to think about is his health. "I worry about getting sick," Botello said. "I always think about the people next to me and whether or not they are sick." Botello is one of millions of Texans who lack health insurance. More people are uninsured in Texas than any other state in the nation, and the group that is most likely to be without health insurance is young people age 18 to 24.

HealthMarkets Names New Chief Information Officer

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HealthMarkets announced today that Marc Franklin "Frank" Jackson has joined the Company as Chief Information Officer. In his new position, Jackson will have responsibility for all information technology systems and programs for the Company.

With more than a million policy holders across 44 states, IT plays a key role for HealthMarkets in delivering quality service to customers, whether they hold a traditional PPO plan, a defined benefit plan or a consumer-guided plan offering powerful Web tools that help consumers shop for health care.

American National Insurance Company Declares Quarterly Dividend

GALVESTON, Texas, July 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American National Insurance Company's board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 76 cents per share on its common stock, CUSIP #028591-105, payable September, 21, 2007 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 7, 2007. This is the 97th consecutive year that dividends have been paid to stockholders.

American National Insurance Company is headquartered in Galveston, Texas. American National has over $18.3 billion in assets and is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company, and AA (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor's. The American National family of companies offers a broad line of products and services, which include life insurance, annuities, health insurance, credit insurance, pension plan services and property and casualty insurance for personal lines, agribusiness, and targeted commercial exposures.

Humana Unveils New Portfolio Of Health Insurance Plans Under Its ...

7/17/2007 3:22:42 PM Humana Inc. (HUM) revealed the introduction of a new portfolio of individual health insurance plans under its HumanaOne brand, in six states - Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio and Texas.

By early 2008, the company plans to have introduced the new product portfolio in all 26 states where HumanaOne currently operates.

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