Latest News + Info
The latest information relating to the health insurance industry.
Obamacare enrollment starts Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know
The Chicago Tribune reports: "Choosing the right health insurance plan can be a cumbersome process, and this year’s political back-and-forth over Obamacare has made it seem even more confusing. For months, executive orders and congressional debates have swirled around...
Health insurance and open enrollment – what you need to know
The Chicago Tribune reports: "As open enrollment for health insurance begins Wednesday, Nov. 1, and several changes have occurred or been proposed, I decided to check in with two industry experts for their advice on what you need to know. Kathy Lipscomb, health care...
Trump ending lower-income Obamacare subsidies, threatening the law’s marketplaces
The Chicago Tribune reports: "The Trump administration informed a federal appeals court on Friday that the government would immediately halt payments to insurers that help millions of lower-income Americans afford coverage under the Affordable Care Act, formalizing a...
Despite boost in social security, rising Medicare Part B costs leave seniors in bind
News Medical reports: "Millions of seniors will soon be notified that Medicare premiums for physicians' services are rising and likely to consume most of the cost-of-living adjustment they'll receive next year from Social Security. Higher 2018 premiums for Medicare...
You think your health insurance costs too much. Try being a farmer.
Crains Chicago Business reports: "John Kiefner, who farms 500 acres of hay in exurban Will County, has had health insurance from five companies in the past four years. One of them wouldn't allow his wife and him to visit any of their own doctors. Another wouldn't...
Rauner plays it safe on likely doomed GOP Senate Obamacare bill
The Chicago Suntimes reports: "The potential for Senate Republicans to unravel Obamacare this week diminished on Sunday, when two GOP senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Ted Cruz of Texas said their support was unlikely. Even though the bill drafted by Sens. Lindsey...
Blue Cross warns GOP repeal bill ‘undermines’ pre-existing condition rules
The Hill reports: "The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association warned against a new GOP ObamaCare bill on Wednesday, saying it would "undermine" protections for pre-existing conditions. "The bill contains provisions that would allow states to waive key consumer...
Bemoaning Budget Cuts, Navigators Say Feds Don’t Appreciate Scope Of The Job
Kaiser Health News reports: "The Trump administration says many of the organizations that help people enroll in health plans on the federal insurance marketplaces don’t provide enough bang for the buck, sometimes costing thousands of dollars to sign up each customer....
See who’s owed the most by deadbeat Illinois
Crain's Chicago Business reports: "More than 60 businesses and other groups are owed at least $10 million apiece by the state, while 13 of them are due $100 million or more. Those owed the most are in health care, including insurers Aetna Better Health and Blue...
Illinois submits big Obamacare rate increases to the feds
The Chicago Tribune reports: "Hundreds of thousands of Illinois consumers who buy health insurance on the state's Obamacare exchange will likely see average rates increase by 16 to 37 percent next year for the lowest-priced plans, according to a new analysis. The...