health insurance news

Indianapolis Economic Digest – An Indiana task force estimates that 1.1 million Indiana residents – or one out of every six Hoosiers under 65 – could get health insurance through an Indiana state health insurance exchange.

Think Progress – If Democrats move to pass health care reform after tomorrow’s summit, their newfound momentum can be at least partly attributed to WellPoint’s decision to drastically increase premiums in California’s individual health insurance market. The rate increases highlighted the broken health care system and pressured lawmakers to drastically reform the individual health insurance market. The administration’s strong response also enunciated the differences in lawmakers’ approach to reform and may have pushed the President to add stronger cost control provisions into his health care blue-print.

Tribune-Star (Terre Haute, Ind.) – As a former two-term Governor and now as Secretary of Agriculture I have seen the consequences of a health care system in need of reform – too few insured, too costly for others and too little quality for all. Unsustainable growth in the cost of health care and the continued denial of coverage to millions of Americans is evidence that our health care system has failed. These failings are amplified in rural America, where folks pay more for health care than their urban counterparts, but are still more likely to experience chronic illness and poor health. President Obama’s health insurance reform plan will bring stability and security to Americans who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don’t.

Indianapolis Star – Indiana employers have been more generous than most in providing health insurance coverage to their workers, picking up the 12th-highest share of the premium for a family plan, according to the most recent figures available.