Latest News + Info
The latest information relating to the health insurance industry.
New Tool to Contain Employer Healthcare Costs
JD Supra reports: "Background Healthcare coverage became an employer-offered benefit during World War II as the result of the federal government’s wage and price controls[1]. Since that time, Medicare has become an important part of how healthcare is provided to...
New Final Regulations Expand the Availability of HRAs
JD Supra reports: "On June 13, 2019, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Treasury (the “Departments”), published final regulations which significantly broaden the types of health plans that may be integrated with...
Explaining Texas v. U.S.: A Guide to the 5th Circuit Appeal in the Case Challenging the ACA
KFF.org reports: "On July 9, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit will hear oral argument in Texas v. U.S., the next round of litigation challenging the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The appeals court is reviewing a federal trial court’s decision that the...
Why You Still Absolutely Need Health Insurance Despite the Death of the Penalty
Yahoo Finance reports: "Starting in 2019, you'll no longer owe a fine to the IRS if you don't have qualifying health insurance coverage. While the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, imposed a tax penalty for those who opted out of coverage, the mandate was eliminated...
‘Sham’ Sharing Ministries Test Faith Of Patients And Insurance Regulators
KHN reports: "Sheri Lewis, 59, of Seattle, needed a hip transplant. Bradley Fuller, 63, of nearby Kirkland, needed chemotherapy and radiation when the pain in his jaw turned out to be throat cancer. And Kim Bruzas, 55, of Waitsburg, hundreds of miles away, needed...
Scrap ‘Obamacare’? Maybe not all, Trump administration says
AP reports: "Scrap “Obamacare”? Well, maybe not all of it. The Trump administration is arguing in court that the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down as unconstitutional. But at the same time, Justice Department lawyers recently suggested that federal...
Should companies begin offering student-loan help to employees?
Prairie Business reports: "Yes! Student loan debt is one of the most difficult financial issues facing new grads. Rising costs of tuition/education can make it hard for new grads to get a start in life – whether it be buying their first home, purchasing a new vehicle...
Most Americans want lower health care costs, not ‘Medicare for All’ or Obamacare repeal
CNN Politics reports: "Washington may be obsessed with enacting "Medicare for All" or repealing Obamacare, but Americans have other priorities. They want Congress to prioritize reducing health care costs and protecting those with pre-existing conditions, according to...
4 healthcare costs in retirement no one warns you about
MSN Money reports: "Many Americans are stressed about paying for late-in-life healthcare. Studies show that over a third of US adults are more concerned about covering health costs in retirement than paying off debt and affording lifestyle expenses right now, but only...
Health insurance deductibles soar, leaving Americans with unaffordable bills
The LA Times reports: "Soaring deductibles and medical bills are pushing millions of American families to the breaking point, fueling an affordability crisis that is pulling in middle-class households with health insurance as well as the poor and uninsured. In the...