“On February 20, 2018, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and the Treasury released a proposed rule that would increase the length of coverage for short-term health insurance plans from three months to 364 days. They proposed this rule in response to an executive order President Trump issued in October 2017 telling these departments to propose regulations or guidance that would make this type of insurance more available in order to encourage consumer choice and provider competition in the health insurance market.
Posts Tagged ‘departments of health and human services’
What is Trump’s New Short-Term Health Insurance Order?
Tuesday, May 8th, 2018Tags: Affordable Care Act, Bull Valley, Burlington, Chicago, Costs, departments of health and human services, enroll, enrollment, Fox River Grove, Fox Valley, Franklin Park, individual, Individuals, insurance, insurance plan, Marketplace, open enrollment
Posted in Individual Health Insurance, Short Term Insurance | Comments Off on What is Trump’s New Short-Term Health Insurance Order?
Here’s What Medicare Part B Costs and Covers in 2016
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016According to The Motley Fool:
“Learn how this part of the Medicare program works.
Retirees rely on Medicare to help them with their healthcare expenses, but getting a better understanding of how the program’s different components can be challenging. Medicare Part B plays a key role in the everyday aspects of healthcare, and below, you’ll learn more of the specifics of how much Part B costs and what it covers.
What Medicare Part B costs
Medicare participants pay a monthly premium to get Part B coverage, but one of the more confusing things about the program in 2016 is that different participants pay different amounts. The standard charge for most new participants this year is $121.80 per month. But because of a law that ties Medicare increases to cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security, the majority of existing participants will pay the $104.90 monthly premium they paid in 2015. (more…)
Tags: 2016, ACA, ACA requirements, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, barack obama, Barrington, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Bucktown, Bull Valley, buy health insurance, buying insurance, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, deductibles, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, disability insurance program, Dundee, East Dundee, Fox Valley, Government, government regulations, health, Health and Human Services, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance reform, HMO, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, insurance, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Lake, Lake County, Lake View, Lincolnwood, long term care, McHenery, McHenry County, Medicaid, medicaid coverage, medicaid programs, Medicare, Naperville, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North West Suburbs, Northwest Suburbs, Park Ridge, premiums, preventive services, retirement, Rolling Meadows, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, social security and medicare, state health insurance, state legislatures, West Chicago, West Dundee, Wheeling, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, Woodstock
Posted in Medicare | Comments Off on Here’s What Medicare Part B Costs and Covers in 2016
CMS Proposes Health Insurance Exchange Changes for 2017
Monday, January 11th, 2016California Healthline Reports:
“On Friday, CMS released a proposed rule that would require minimum network standards for health plans sold through the federal exchange in 2017, Modern Healthcare reports.
Proposed Rule’s Network Standards
Under the rule, states would be required to implement CMS-approved quantitative measures to ensure that individuals with exchange plans have adequate access to health care providers. States could either:
- Adopt default network adequacy standards set by CMS; or
- Draft their own network adequacy standards and submit them for HHS approval.
Such standards could measure a plan’s network adequacy based on policyholders’ maximum travel distances and times to access providers. According to CMS, minimum adequacy standards for the plans will be determined at a later date. HHS would then notify insurers of the standards in each state (Herman/Dickson, Modern Healthcare, 11/20). (more…)
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, Advisor, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, Arlington Heights, aurora, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, bronze plan, Bucktown, buy health insurance, buying insurance, California healthline, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, Darien, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, Des Plaines, Desplaines, Downers Grove, DuPage County, East Dundee, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, exchange, Forest Park, Fox River Grove, Franklin Park, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, government regulations, Hampshire, 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 premiums, health insurance reform, health plan, health programs, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Hoffman Estates, Huntley, IL, individual, Individuals, insurance broker, insurance industry, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, Kane, Kane County, Kendall County, Lake County, Lake View, Lakewood, Lincoln Park, Long Grove, Marengo, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Medicare, Montgomery, Naperville, Navigator, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, Niles, North Barrington, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northlake, Northwest Suburbs, notices, Oakwood Hills, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Park Ridge, Prairie Grove, Roselle, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Self Employed, self-insurance, SHOP, Skokie, small businesses, Spring Grove, St. Charles, state health insurance, state legislatures, Streamwood, the affordable care act, Tower Lakes, Village of Lakewood, Wasco, West Chicago, Wheeling, Wicker Park, Winfield, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Open Enrollment | Comments Off on CMS Proposes Health Insurance Exchange Changes for 2017
Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare return to Illinois Obamacare exchange
Monday, January 11th, 2016Crain’s Chicago Business Reports:
“Aetna is returning to sell plans on the Illinois health insurance exchange after taking a year off.
Also returning are giants Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, the dominant insurer in the state; UnitedHealthcare, which is affiliated with Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group, and Chicago-based Land of Lincoln Health.
Mostly familiar faces are returning to the exchange for enrollment that begins Nov. 1, according to the Illinois Department of Insurance. Other companies that received federal approval to sell plans include:
—Health Alliance, based in downstate Urbana.
—Celtic Insurance, which is part of St. Louis-based Centene Corp.
—Coventry Health, part of Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna.
—Harken Health, of which UnitedHealth Group is an investor.
—Humana, based in Louisville, Ky.
Tags: 2015, 2016, ACA, ACA requirements, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, Atena, aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Bucktown, buffalo grove, Burlington, buy health insurance, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, Dundee, DuPage County, Elgin, employer health insurance, enrollment, exchange, Forest Park, Fox River Grove, Fox Valley, Glenview, government regulations, group health plan, Harwood Heights, Health and Human Services, 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 plan, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Humana, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance broker, insurance industry, IRS, Kane, Kane County, Kendall, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Long Grove, Marengo, Marketplace, McCullen Lake, McHenry, McHenry County, Naperville, North Barrington, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, Oakwood Hills, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, Palatine, Park Ridge, Pingree Grove, Prairie Grove, Ringwood, Rolling Meadows, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, Skokie, small businesses, South Barrington, South Elgin, the affordable care act, United Health Care, United Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare, Village of Lakewood, Wasco, West Chicago, West Dundee, Wicker Park, Will, Will County, Wood Dale, Woodridge, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Small Business | Comments Off on Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare return to Illinois Obamacare exchange
Healthcare.gov CEO says insurance marketplace’s complexity argues for agents
Monday, January 11th, 2016“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. (more…)
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, Andersonville, barack obama, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, budget cuts, buffalo grove, buy health insurance, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Cary, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, COBRA, Consultant, Cook, Cook County, Costs, Crystal Lake, deductibles, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Dundee, DuPage County, East Dundee, Elgin, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, exchange, family plan, Fox River Grove, Fox Valley, Geneva, Gilberts, Glendale Heights, Government, government regulations, group health plan, group health plans, Hampshire, Health and Human Services, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health insurance, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance reform, health plan, health programs, health reform, health savings account, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, High deductible health plan, human resources, Humana, Huntley, IL, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual, Insurance benefit consultant, insurance broker, Kane, Kane County, Kendall County, Key Findings ACA, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Lakewood, Long Grove, Marengo, Marketplace, McHenery, McHenry, McHenry County, Morton Grove, Naperville, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, Northlake, Oak Park, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Prairie Grove, Riverwoods, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, South Barrington, Streamwood, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, U.S. Senate, unemployment, United Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare, Wasco, West Chicago, Wheaton, Will County
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Care .gov, Health Insurance News | Comments Off on Healthcare.gov CEO says insurance marketplace’s complexity argues for agents
The ‘Affordable’ Care Act, another Christmas bah-humbug
Monday, January 11th, 2016“‘Tis the season for giving—and for the Affordable Care Act, it’s become the season for giving bad news. For the third year in a row, open enrollment has given millions of hardworking Americans news that their health insurance will have higher premiums, fewer choices, and more out-of-pocket costs—if their insurance will even exist after the holidays are over.
But this sad reality won’t be found in the flowery rhetoric of the law’s supporters. From President Obama to Hillary Clinton to many candidates for both the U.S. Senate and House, politicians are claiming the law is a smashing success. This might make for a good stump speech for the base, but these claims carry huge political risks: They sound woefully disconnected from the struggles millions of Americans are suffering under this law.
Tags: ACA, ACA requirements, Advocate Heath Care, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Albany Park, Algonquin, barack obama, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, BCBS, BCBSIL, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Bucktown, budget cuts, buffalo grove, buy health insurance, buying insurance, care reform legislation, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cook, Cook County, Costs, coverage plan, Crystal Lake, deductibles, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, East Dundee, Elgin, employer health insurance, enroll, enrollment, exchange, family plan, Forest Park, Fox River Grove, Geneva, Government, government regulations, 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 programs, health reform, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Huntley, IL, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, insurance news, insurance plan, Insurance Reform, IRS, Kane, Kane County, Kendall County, Lake County, McHenry, McHenry County, Midterm Election 2010, Mr. Obama, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, North West Suburbs, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, premiums, Schaumburg, state health insurance, Streamwood, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, U.S. Senate, West Chicago, West Dundee, Wicker Park, Will County, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance News, Health Reform | Comments Off on The ‘Affordable’ Care Act, another Christmas bah-humbug
Canadian Health Care: Patients Waiting Longer Than Ever For Treatment
Monday, January 11th, 2016Investors Business Daily Reports:
“Socialist Medicine: Canadians love their hockey and have historically been happy with their government-run health care system. Hockey is thriving. The country’s health care system, though, is a wreck and getting worse.
It could be said the words “Canada” and “health care” really don’t go together because some Canadians never make it to the doctor.
Too many die untreated due to extended wait times to see a doctor, and those wait times have increased again this year. They are now almost twice as long as they were in 1993, the year Hillary Clinton tried to force government health care on Americans. (more…)
Tags: 2015, ACA, affordable care, Affordable Care Act, affordable health insurance, Algonquin, Arlington Heights, aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, Bucktown, buy health insurance, buying insurance, Changeing Health Care, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, Cook, Cook County, Crystal Lake, Deer Park, DeKalb, DeKalb County, departments of health and human services, doctors, Downers Grove, Dundee, East Dundee, Elgin, employer health insurance, enrollment, Fox Valley, Franklin Park, Government, government regulations, group health plans, health care benefits, health care costs, health care law, health care reform, health care system, health insurance costs, health insurance coverage, Health insurance exchange, health insurance marketplace, health insurance reform, healthcare reform, healthcare.gov, Hoffman Estates, Hospital, Huntley, Illinois, Illinois Department of Insurance, Illinois health insurance exchange, individual health insurance, individual insurance, Kane, Kane County, Kendall County, Lake County, Lake in the Hills, Lake View, Lincoln Park, Long Grove, McHenry, McHenry County, medicaid programs, Morton Grove, new health care, New health insurance law ACA, Obama care, ObamaCare, Obamacare regulation, open enrollment, Palatine, Park Ridge, pre existing conditions, premiums, Prospect Heights, River Grove, Riverwoods, Rolling Meadows, Saint Charles, Schaumburg, Sleepy Hollow, social security and medicare, South Barrington, special enrollment, Streamwood, taxpayer dollars, the affordable care act, United Healthcare, Village of Lakewood, West Chicago, West Dundee, Will County, Woodridge, Woodstock
Posted in Affordable Care Act, Family Health Insurance, Health Insurance News, Heath Care Costs | Comments Off on Canadian Health Care: Patients Waiting Longer Than Ever For Treatment
Final health care reform rule permits one-month orientation period
Tuesday, July 15th, 2014“Employers are allowed to impose “orientation” periods of up to one month before a maximum 90-day waiting period on the start of health care coverage for new employees, under final health care law reform rules.The rules, issued Friday jointly by the U.S. departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury, finalize and clarify how such orientation periods would work.
Under the final regulations, the one-month orientation period would be calculated by adding one calendar month and subtracting one calendar day, measured from an employee’s starting day.
Tags: affordable care, Affordable Care Act, buffalo grove, Bull Valley, Burlington, Campton Hills, Carol Stream, Carpend, Carpentersville, departments of health and human services, Health and Human Services, health care law, health care reform, insurance, Patient Protection
Posted in Health Reform | Comments Off on Final health care reform rule permits one-month orientation period
Navigating Health Care Reform: Summary of Benefits and Coverage for Group Health Plans
Friday, July 20th, 2012“Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (collectively, the “Act”), employers must move forward with implementation. In the coming weeks, we will publish a series of newsletter articles focusing on the changes that most immediately affect employer group health plans and may require immediate attention, especially for employers who have taken a wait-and-see approach in hopes that the Act would be invalidated.
Tags: Affordable Care Act, Carol Stream, Chicago, Chicagoland, Cicero, departments of health and human services, Fox Valley, Geneva, group health plans, health insurance, health insurance coverage, Massachusetts, North West Suburbs, Northern Illinois, Northwest Suburbs, Oswego, Patient Protection, Schaumburg, South Elgin, St. Charles, Wasco
Posted in Insurance Reform | Comments Off on Navigating Health Care Reform: Summary of Benefits and Coverage for Group Health Plans
Impact of PPACA on Rates Being Analyzed
Monday, October 18th, 2010Blue Cross and Blue Shield reports:
“In support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) provisions that go into effect Sept. 23, 2010, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has done a great deal of analysis around the potential impact of PPACA on rates we charge our customers. We have completed the initial required rate filings in each of our states, but continue to monitor the regulatory discussions on this important topic. |
Tags: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, departments of health and human services, group rates, Illinois, Patient Protection, PPACA
Posted in Health Laws | Comments Off on Impact of PPACA on Rates Being Analyzed