health insurance news

Bennington Banner–Vermont’s Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill creating a state-run health insurance exchange. The governor strongly supports the bill, and legislators view an exchange’s creation going hand-in-hand with creating a single-payer, universal healthcare system in the state.

Rutland Herald–The Vermont legislature is expected to approve a bill creating a state-run health exchange sometime this week.

Vermont is just a signature away from the road to a single-payer health care system called Green Mountain Care.

LegalNewsline.com – A total of 20 states have moved to sue the federal government in an attempt to stop implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, arguing that the individual mandate provision is unconstitutional. Another nince states have indicated they support the reform legislation.

U.S. News & World Report – Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services ratings for Medicare Advantage plans revealed significant differences in ratings from state to state – from 4 or more stars in Massachusetts and Minnesota to 2.5 stars in Alaska, Delaware and Vermont.

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.

Blog Briefing Room (The Hill) – A leading Senate Independent on Monday stressed he would support using reconciliation to break a filibuster and bring healthcare reform to a conclusive vote.