Latest News + Info
The latest information relating to the health insurance industry.
Obama Doubles Down on Health Care Reform
Portfolio.com reports: "Only 360,000 small businesses benefited last year from a tax credit designed to make health insurance more affordable. That’s partly because Congress limited the availability of this credit to hold down the cost of the $940 billion health care...
Who should control Illinois’ public health insurance exchange?
Illinois Times reports: "As Illinois and other states rush to implement federal health insurance reforms, consumer advocates say lawmakers shouldn’t allow insurers to make all the decisions. Illinois must create a board to oversee the state’s federally-mandated public...
Self-Insured Complicate Health Deal
New York Times reports: "The Obama administration thought it had found a way to ease mounting objections to a requirement in the new health care act that all employers — including religiously affiliated hospitals and universities — offer coverage for birth control to...
Feds recover $4.1B in health care fraud in 2011
Benefits pro reports: "MIAMI (AP) — Federal authorities say they recovered $4.1 billion in health care fraud judgments last year, a record high which officials on Monday credited to new tools for cracking down on deceitful Medicare claims. The recovered funds are up...
New Rules Call For Simpler-To-Understand Group Health Insurance Benefits, Costs
Image via WikipediaInsurance News Net reports: "By Patricia Anstett, Detroit Free Press McClatchy-Tribune Information Services Feb. 09--Starting Sept. 23, group health insurance policies in America must provide consumers and employers with a simple, easy-to-understand...
Income-Relating Medicare Part B and Part D Premiums Under Current Law and Recent Proposals: What are the Implications for Beneficiaries?
Kaiser Family Foundation reports: "Proposals to raise premiums for higher-income Medicare beneficiaries are currently being discussed along with other options to reduce federal spending on Medicare. Last year, as part of a more comprehensive effort to reduce the...
Health-Care Reform’s Fate Won’t Alter Health Care’s Larger Problems
The Huff Post reports: "Health-care reform will not begin in earnest until 2014. However, 2012 will define whether it makes it that far. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on reform's constitutionality before it adjourns in June. If the new law survives the...
Contraceptive mandate could face tough sledding in Supreme Court
The Las Angeles Times reports: "The healthcare law's mandate to require religious-affiliated employers to pay for contraception for their workers has prompted two lawsuits. If the matter gets to the Supreme Court, it will go before justices who recently affirmed — in...
Most Americans expect SCOTUS to overturn health care law’s individual mandate
The Washington Post reports: " The majority of Americans expect the Supreme Court to find the health reform law’s mandate that people purchase health insurance unconstitutional, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll out this morning. Just less than a third...
User-friendly health plan summaries at risk
Benefits Pro reports: "One of the most popular provisions of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul — consumer-friendly summaries of what your insurance plan covers — suddenly seems to be at risk. Consumer groups say it's not Republican opposition they're...