Health Insurance News & Opinion

16.6 million small business employees could benefit from health reform provisions this year

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:57:16 +0000

The Commonwealth Fund – 16.6 million small business employees could receive relief from health insurance premiums this year through small-business tax credits established by the recently passed health reform legislation.

Employers shifting health coverage costs to worker, survey shows

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:59:00 +0000

Associated Press – As they try to ride out the ongoing economic downturn, employers are shifting some of the burden of their employee-sponsored health costs to their employees, according to a new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust.

Medicare Donut Hole checks headed for a million seniors

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:20:48 +0000

The Huffington Post – More than a million seniors in the Medicare system have been issued $250 “donut hole” rebate checks, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Point-counterpoint on health reform’s effect on U.S. workforce

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:40:15 +0000

Atlanta Journal Constitution – U.S. Rep Jim McDermott (Washington State) and the Galen Institute’s Grace-Marie Turner duke it out over health reform’s prospects for the American workforce.

Health reform advocates score early victory with interpretation of medical loss ratio

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:55:20 +0000

The Hill – Health insurance regulators gave reform advocates an early victory Tuesday by rejecting insurance lobbyists’ interpretation of the medical loss ratio should be calculated. The MLR dictates that health plans must spend at least 80 percent of premiums in the individual and small-group markets on medical care and 85 percent for large-group plans … or they must offer rebates to their policy holders.

States get $1 million grants to crack down on unreasonable health insurance rate hikes

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:32:35 +0000

HHS.gov – Forty-five states and the District of Columbia will each receive $1 million to more closely monitor proposed health insurance rate increases and to crack down on unreasonable rate hikes.

Would the Left be happy with the repeal of the ACA?

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:23:26 +0000

Health Beat by Maggie Mahar – Health care blogger says liberals unhappy with the way the health reform legislation turned out are fooling themselves thinking they’d be happier if the legislation somehow fails.

Students returning to parents’ insurance policy face coverage gap

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:39:10 +0000

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.

Watchdog groups tells lobbyists, ‘Show me the money … you’re spending in our state.’

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:03:19 +0000

The Hill – Health Care for America Now (HCAN) – one of the most vocal grassroots campaigns in favor of health reform – is demanding that the health insurance industry disclose how much they’re spending to lobby regulators at the state level.

Regulators drop the hatchet on so-called medical discount plans

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:28:35 +0000

Reuters – U.S. regulators and going after a growing collection of companies that are selling so-called “medical discount plans” by convincing consumers that they function like health insurance.