“Illinois HB 2624, introduced by Representative Laura Fine, limits the duration of short-term health insurance plans to 181 days. The intent of HB 2624 is to ensure that healthier people do not enroll in the short-term health insurance plans that will be able to last up to 36 months without new underwriting under the new Health and Human Services guidelines, thus preserving the Illinois exchange.
Posts Tagged ‘affordable health insurance’
Governor Rauner, veto HB 2624
Tuesday, August 21st, 2018Tags: affordable health insurance, Boulder Hill, buffalo grove, Bull Valley, Burlington, Health and Human Services, Illinois, insurance plan, the affordable care act
Posted in Illinois Health Insurance | Comments Off on Governor Rauner, veto HB 2624
House Republicans release long-awaited ObamaCare replacement bill
Wednesday, March 8th, 2017“House Republicans on Monday evening released the text of their long-awaited ObamaCare replacement bill, proposing to eliminate the various taxes and penalties tied to the original legislation while still preserving certain patient protections.
Aiming to deliver on their signature campaign promise after several election cycles trying to reclaim control of Washington, majority Republicans unveiled what they call the American Health Care Act. The sweeping legislation would repeal ObamaCare’s taxes along with the so-called individual and employer mandates – which imposed fines for not buying and offering insurance, respectively.
Tags: affordable care, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Alden, Arlington Heights, Barrington, enrollment, health savings account, Medicaid, ObamaCare, Patient Protection, the affordable care act
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Obamacare | Comments Off on House Republicans release long-awaited ObamaCare replacement bill
Health insurance plans to be rated based on size of network
Thursday, April 28th, 2016Live Insurance News reports:
” The Obama administration will now use the number of included doctors and hospitals in the ratings.
In response to complaints from consumers with respect to the way health insurance plans are rated on the exchanges, the Obama administration has now said that it will provide a rating for each plan based on the number of hospitals and doctors that are included within that plan’s network.
Equally, there will also be an increase to the maximum annual out-of-pocket amount that consumers can pay.
For individuals, the maximum out-of-pocket expenses for health insurance next year, will be $7,150. For families that figure will be $14,300. Consumer advocates haven’t been impressed with those numbers, as they have said these additional costs could pose a considerable financial burden for middle-income individuals and families who require a large amount of medical care. These new rules were published within the Federal Register, this week. Under these regulations, insurance companies will be able to sell health plans with limited provider networks. (more…)
Tags: ACA, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Chicago, Chicagoland, government regulations, group health plans, health care costs, health care reform, health care system, health insurance costs, Health insurance exchange, health insurance reform, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, West Chicago
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Care .gov | Comments Off on Health insurance plans to be rated based on size of network
Blue Cross Blue Shield Confirms Obamacare Death Spiral
Thursday, April 28th, 2016According to The Beacon:
” The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, which represents 36 Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans covering 105 million Americans, has just released a study of its members’ claims data in Obamacare exchanges 2014 and 2015. It confirms that Obamacare exchange enrollees are sicker and more expensive than enrollees in pre-Obamacare individual plans or employer-based plans.
Here I quote four of the study’s findings:
- Members who newly enrolled in BCBS individual health plans in 2014 and 2015 have higher rates of certain diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, coronary artery disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C than individuals who had BCBS individual coverage prior to health-care reform.
- Consumers who newly enrolled in BCBS individual health plans in 2014 and 2015 received significantly more medical care, on average, than those with BCBS individual plans prior to 2014 who maintained BCBS individual health coverage into 2015, as well as those with BCBS employer-based group health insurance.
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Posted in Affordable Care Act, Blue Cross and Blue Shield | Comments Off on Blue Cross Blue Shield Confirms Obamacare Death Spiral
How Obamacare Makes Tax Filing Trickier
Thursday, April 21st, 2016According to Time Inc.
“Many Americans will get new tax forms for the first time. Here’s what to do with them.
This year, you may be receiving tax forms you’ve never seen before, all thanks to the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. For the most part, these documents won’t make tax filing too much harder—with one big exception. Here’s what you need to know about this paperwork, depending on what kind of health insurance you had in 2015.
If you had health insurance from your employer all year…
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Andersonville, Barrington, Blue Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Bucktown, budget cuts, Burlington, Cary, Chicago, Chicagoland, Crystal Lake, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Downers Grove, Forest Park, Fox Valley, Geneva, Hampshire, Harvard, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, health insurance marketplace, health reform, healthcare reform, IL, Illinois, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Lake County, Lake View, McHenery, McHenry, Morton Grove, Mr. Obama, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, South Barrington, Streamwood, Tax, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, United Health Care, West Chicago, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, young adults, young people
Posted in Affordable Care Act | Comments Off on How Obamacare Makes Tax Filing Trickier
IRS Grants Extension for 6055 and 6056 Reporting
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to United Healthcare, Broker Connection Special Edition:
“On Dec. 28, 2015, the IRS announced that it is granting an automatic extension for the 2015 information returns required of insurers, employers and certain other providers of Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) under Section 6055 and 6056 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).
Coverage providers that need more time now have until March 31 to get Form 1095 to individuals and until June 30 to electronically file with the IRS. For providers not filing electronically, the deadline is May 31, 2016. (more…)
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Posted in Individual Health Insurance, Open Enrollment | Comments Off on IRS Grants Extension for 6055 and 6056 Reporting
Healthcare.gov CEO says insurance marketplace’s complexity argues for agents
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to The Advocate:
“The Affordable Care Act is confusing and complicated, which means that health insurance agents and brokers are needed to help consumers pick the best plans for them, Kevin Counihan, chief executive officer of Healthcare.gov, said Monday.
“It’s got plenty of opportunity to be made a little bit better,” Counihan said. “And I’m very hopeful and confident that as we get more adults in Congress that they’re all going to sit down, the two sides together, and they’re going to address some of these issues.”
Counihan spoke to about 20 brokers and agents at an event hosted in Baton Rouge by the Louisiana Association of Health Underwriters.
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, advice, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, Arlington Heights, Atena, aurora, barack obama, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Broker, Bucktown, buffalo grove, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carpentersville, Cary, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, deductibles, Deer Park, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Downers Grove, DuPage, DuPage County, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, family plan, Fox Valley, Hampshire, Harvard, health, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health exemption, health insurance, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance premiums, health insurance reform, Health Marketplace, health plan, health programs, health reform, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Humana, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance broker, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Lake, Lake County, Lake View, Logan Square, Marketplace, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Navigator, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North Aurora, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, notices, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, PPO, Producer, Schaumburg, sign up, Skokie, South Barrington, state health insurance, state legislatures, the affordable care act, UnitedHealthcare, Villa Park, West Chicago, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, workplace
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News | Comments Off on Healthcare.gov CEO says insurance marketplace’s complexity argues for agents
Coming soon to your mailbox: An Obamacare tax form
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to The CT Mirror:
“Even if you don’t get your health insurance through Obamacare, you’re likely to get something related to the health law in the mail in the coming weeks: A new tax form.

The 1095-A form exchange customers will receive. Others will get different versions, depending on the source of their health care coverage.
Known as Form 1095, it’s part of the way the federal government verifies whether people are complying with the mandate that requires nearly all U.S. residents to have health care coverage. This year is the first time most people will be getting those forms, and officials are anticipating a fair amount of confusion. In part, that’s because what you need to do with that form depends on the type of coverage you had.
Here’s what you need to know. (more…)
Tags: 2015, 2016, ACA, ACA requirements, advice, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Alden, Algonquin, Andersonville, Bannockburn, barack obama, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Boulder Hill, Bucktown, budget cuts, buffalo grove, Bull Valley, buy health insurance, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carpentersville, Cary, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, Darien, Deer Park, Deerfield, DeKalb, DeKalb County, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, DuPage, DuPage County, East Dundee, Elburn, Elmhurst, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, exchange, federal medicaid, Fox River Grove, Fox Valley, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Government, government regulations, Hampshire, Harvard, health, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health exemption, health insurance, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance premiums, health insurance reform, Health Marketplace, health plan, health programs, health reform, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Highland Park, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual, individual health insurance, individual insurance, Individual Mandate, insurance, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, IRS, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Kendall County, Lake County, Lakewood, Lincolnwood, Lombard, Maywood, McCullen Lake, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Medicaid, Medicare, Montgomery, Naperville, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North Aurora, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northlake, Northwest Suburbs, Oak Park, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Park Ridge, Penalty, Pingree Grove, Prairie Grove, premiums, public exchange, Ringwood, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, sign up, Skokie, South Barrington, special enrollment, St. Charles, state health insurance, state legislatures, Stone Park, Supreme Court, supreme court decisions, Tax, taxpayer dollars, Tower Lakes, Villa Park, Wasco, West Chicago, West Dundee, Westchester, Wheaton, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, Wood Dale, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Heath Care Costs | Comments Off on Coming soon to your mailbox: An Obamacare tax form
Humana to Record 2016 Obamacare Shortfall, Membership Drops
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to Bloomberg Business:
“Humana Inc. is the latest insurer to run into trouble in Obamacare’s individual health-insurance markets.
The health insurer said that it probably won’t collect enough money to cover costs for some customers who bought individual plans, and will set aside what’s known as a premium deficiency reserve. The shortfall is for 2016 plans that comply with new rules under the Affordable Care Act, Louisville, Kentucky-based Humana said Friday.
UnitedHealth Group Inc., the biggest U.S. health insurer, said in November that it might stop participating in the Obamacare next year after taking losses. One analyst predicted that Humana would follow suit.
(more…)
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Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Individual Health Insurance | Comments Off on Humana to Record 2016 Obamacare Shortfall, Membership Drops
Feds tighten when people can enroll in Obamacare plans
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to USA Today:
“Bowing to pressure from insurers, federal officials on Tuesday tightened the conditions under which people can sign up for plans on the HealthCare.govexchange outside open enrollment.
The move by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services comes after complaints by health insurers that it was too easy for people to wait until they were sick to sign up and to drop coverage after they got treatment. Earlier Tuesday, UnitedHealth announced a 19% drop in profit and downgraded its earnings forecast citing concerns about its Obamacare enrollment and the flexibility people had to change insurance plans. (more…)
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Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Open Enrollment | Comments Off on Feds tighten when people can enroll in Obamacare plans