Latest News + Info
The latest information relating to the health insurance industry.
IRS sets max fines for health coverage refusal
Benefits Pro reports: "It's official: if you make a quarter of a million bucks a year and decide not to pay for health insurance, you’re going to have to fork over $2,448 to the feds. The Internal Revenue Service finally released its maximum fines for those who choose...
This $1,000 pill is now the hepatitis C treatment of choice
Chicago Health Care Daily reports: " A $1,000-per-pill drug that insurers are reluctant to pay for has quickly become the treatment of choice for a liver-wasting viral disease that affects more than 3 million Americans. In less than six months, prescriptions for...
PPACA helps delay Medicare insolvency
Benefits Pro reports: "The main trust fund behind Medicare, the $583 billion U.S. health program for the elderly and disabled, will be exhausted in 2030, four years later than projected last year, the government reported. An improving economy and the health-care...
Feds release draft tax forms for employer compliance with ACA
Benefits News reports: "The Internal Revenue Service on Thursday released drafts of the forms employers will use to report on health coverage they offer to their employees, unveiling a glimpse of the administrative onus in store for benefit advisers and their employer...
Undercover investigators score PPACA subsidies
Benefits Pro reports: "Undercover investigators using fake identities were able to get health insurance and tax subsidies through the federal exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, underscoring ongoing problems and security issues plaguing the...
Quinn aide: Court rulings don’t jeopardize federal health-care subsidies
The State Journal-Register reports: "Conflicting federal court rulings Tuesday pose no immediate financial threat for the 168,000 Illinoisans receiving reduced-price health insurance through the federal Affordable Care Act, an aide to Gov. Pat Quinn says. The legality...
To Prevent Surprise Bills, New Health Law Rules Could Widen Insurer Networks
The New York Times reports: "The Obama administration and state insurance regulators are developing stricter standards to address the concerns of consumers who say that many health plans under the Affordable Care Act have unduly limited their choices of doctors and...
The Obama Admin Just Exempted US Territories From Obamacare
The Daily Caller reports: "The Obama administration issued yet another waiver to get out of Obamacare — for all the U.S. territories. The exemption, posted Thursday on a Department of Health and Human Services website, frees U.S. territories from a host of Obamacare...
More than 10 million sought ACA enrollment help outside of brokers
Virginia Health Innovation Network reports: "More than 10 million people sought help outside of brokerages and agencies during the Affordable Care Acts first open-enrollment period, but benefit adviser help was still considered by many to be most valuable....
J.D. Power Reports: The Uninsured Remain Underserved by Health Exchanges, As Many Continue to Struggle to Enroll in Healthcare Coverage
Digital Journal reports: "While the Affordable Care Act is designed to reduce cost and increase access to health insurance, many U.S. citizens still are uninsured and underserved due to obstacles not based on cost, such as technical problems and lack of information...