Latest News + Info
The latest information relating to the health insurance industry.
Health care use slows premium hikes
Benifitspro reports: "Many workers will see their health insurance costs rise less next year than in more than a decade, partly because consumers are dialing back their health care use, a benefits consultant has found. A survey from consultant Mercer of companies that...
Huge drop in uninsured young adults
Benifitpro reports: "The number of young adults without health insurance has dropped significantly, a new survey finds, thanks to a provision of President Barack Obama's health care law allowing them to stay on their parents' plans. The new Gallup poll findings...
Blue Cross parent’s profits drop in second quarter
Chicago Business reports: "After surging earlier in the year, profits of the parent of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois dropped sharply during the second quarter, to a still hefty $270 million, as benefits rose and membership shrank. Chicago-based Health Care...
Don’t leave us out, insurance agents tell legislators
My Suburban Life reports: "Insurance industry officials urged state lawmakers Thursday to let independent insurance agents help clients purchase coverage through Illinois’ future health-benefits exchange. Several said it also would be a good idea for the insurance...
Appellate Court Says VA Lacks Standing to Challenge ACA
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has vacated a district court’s ruling that a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. The Fourth Circuit Court ruled that the state of Virginia does not have the standing to challenge the...
Court: Individual Mandate “Unconstitutional”
MedPage Today reports: "By Joyce Frieden, News Editor, MedPage Today Published: September 13, 2011 Just a week after winning two court victories in Virginia, the Obama administration's healthcare reform law hit a legal wall in Pennsylvania when a U.S. District Court...
Health care expansion to cost Illinois, study finds
CarmiTimes.com reports: "Expanding Illinois’ Medicaid program under the federal health-care reform law will cost the state $1.3 billion a year in 2020 and beyond, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Rand Corp. The annual cost is at least six times higher than...
Preventive Services Covered by Private Health Plans under the Affordable Care Act
A PDF containing what will be looked for can be found here The Kaiser Family Foundation reports: "The Affordable Care Act created new requirements that private insurers cover preventive services, including routine immunizations, screenings for conditions such as...
Insurers, Small Businesses Launch Campaign Against Health Tax
Insurance News Net reports: "Health insurers, in partnership with a small business advocacy group, have launched a campaign to repeal an industry tax included in the health reform law. The Affordable Care Act subjects insurers to an excise tax set at $8 billion...
Savings power of HSAs appears to wane
Indianapolis Insurance Journal reports: "As consumer-directed health plans become more prevalent, their power to save money for employers is waning, according to the latest survey by Indianapolis-based United Benefit Advisors, a network of health insurance brokers....