individual health insurance Health Insurance News

New York Times – Students everywhere are happy to hear that they’ll be able to resume coverage under their parents’ health insurance policies, thanks to the recent passage of health reform legislation. Unfortunately, many of those students will have to wait until 2011, and look for gap coverage until then.

Clarionledger.com – Misssissippi Gov. Hailey Barbour says his state and others will prevail in the battle against the recently passed health reform law, specifically predicting that its individual mandate provision would not hold up in court.

The New York Times – Voters in Missouri gave a big thumbs-down to the new federal health reform legislation Tuesday, voting overwhelming in favor of a measure that would nullify the individual mandate provision of the law.

Denver Daily News – Libertarian Jon Caldara has submitted more than 300,000 signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office in an attempt to get a November vote whether to exempt Colorado from major provisions of the new health reform legislation.

Public News Service – Missourians will vote Tuesday on whether to reject portions of the nation’s new health reform legislation – and specifically whether the state should opt out of an individual mandate to purchase health insurance.

Bloomberg – The Obama Administration is implementing a full-court press online to ensure that consumers don’t miss – or misunderstand – the benefits of the health reform legislation passed several months ago. HealthCare.gov offers an insurance plan finder, a Twitter feed announcing policy changes and YouTube.com videos explaining the law’s benefits.

Los Angeles Times – Anthem Blue Cross is ratcheting down a dramatic 39 percent rate hike for Californians, though some of its policyholders will still see premiums climb as much as 20 percent.

North Carolina, Montana and Pennsylvania are among the states that could begin accepting applications for a new federal high-risk insurance pool that will offer coverage to uninsured patients with pre-existing conditions. Some states like Vermont are scrambling to meet the July 1 federal mandate. Read more news about high-risk insurance pools.

The New York Times – The federal government is ready to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a temporary high-risk insurance pool program expected to provide coverage for as many as 400,000 uninsured Americans.

The Florida Tribune – Republicans in Florida’s state Legislature are launching an all-out campaign using radio, television, direct mail and social media to promote Amendment 9, state legislation designed to block federal health care reform.