Family Insurance Premiums Rise 4 Percent For 2nd Year In Row, Survey Finds
But a growing number of workers, especially those employed by small businesses, feel the pinch of deductibles of at least $1,000.
How Much Of A Subsidy Will You Get In Obamacare? Here’s An Estimate
If you buy your own health insurance, you’ve no doubt heard that subsidies will be available next year to help pay the premiums. But will you get a subsidy and how much? Researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation have a report out Wednesday that provides some insight. Based on their analysis, about 48 percent of adults […]
Five Things To Know About Obamacare Premiums: A Guide For The Perplexed
These pointers will help you make sense of contradictory headlines about how much insurance could cost you when the Affordable Care Act marketplaces open for enrollment in October.
GAO: Current Insurance Costs For Individual Policies Vary Widely
Will premiums go up or down under the health law? It’s been one of the most contentious questions in recent weeks, as states examine the rates submitted by insurers applying to sell coverage through new online marketplaces that open for enrollment Oct. 1. Critics of the law have argued that new rules, benefit requirements and taxes will drive […]
Deciphering The Health Law’s Subsidies For Premiums
Tax attorney Cathy Livingston helps explain how consumers with lower incomes will be able to get financial assistance when buying a health insurance policy on the new online marketplaces.
New York is one of five states that required insurers to sell to everyone prior to passage of the health law but did not require consumers to buy coverage, leading to some of the nation’s highest premiums.
Obama Says Health Law Is Saving Consumers Money
President uses speech to push back against critics, highlight law’s benefits to middle-class and working Americans.
Some States Are Pushing ‘Employee Choice’ For Small Business Insurance
Small business workers in at least 15 states and the District of Columbia may have a menu of health insurance choices next year, something that didn’t seem likely a few months ago. Back in April, federal officials concerned about the potential for major glitches put off until 2015 a provision that would offer small businesses […]
National Health Plans, Designed To Spur Competition, May Be Unavailable In Some States Next Year
The federal health law requires two plans in every state, but few insurers are lining up to play.
Delay In Major Health Law Provision Raises Doubts At Critical Stage Of Rollout
The decision to give large employers an extra year to cover their workers was praised by business leaders but complicates the implementation.
Thousands Of Mississippi Consumers May Not Be Offered Insurance Subsidies
No insurer is offering to sell plans in dozens of mostly rural counties, which would prevent residents from obtaining subsidies through a federal online marketplace.
Big Changes Ahead For Those Who Buy Their Own Insurance
Premiums may increase for young people, but the flip side is insurers must take all comers, broaden benefits and cap out-of-pocket costs.
GAO Report Points To Challenges In Setting Up Federal Health Insurance Marketplaces
The report says that the administration “has many key activities remaining to be completed.”
Improper Use Of Prescription Drugs Costs $200 Billion A Year, Report Finds
The U.S. spends $200 billion each year — about 8 percent of the nation’s health care tab — on medical care stemming from improper or unnecessary use of prescription drugs, a new report out Wednesday says. Much of those costs result from unneeded hospitalizations or doctor visits, according to the study by the IMS Health’s […]
California Insurance Chief Wants To Bar Anthem From Selling Small Business Coverage
Citing a pattern of “unreasonable rate increases” for small business customers by Anthem Blue Cross, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Thursday he will recommend that the state’s new online insurance marketplace exclude the firm from selling small business coverage. The move comes amid national debate about the cost of coverage for individuals and small businesses […]
Study: Consumers Saved $2.1B On Individual Coverage Under Health Law
People who bought their own health insurance last year saved $2.1 billion because of the federal health law, mainly because of a provision that limits how much of their premium can go to insurers’ administration and profits, says a report out today from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the […]
California Law Likely Resulted In Lower Bills, Free Care For Uninsured
A California law limiting how much hospitals can charge the uninsured likely resulted in lower bills for many patients – and free care for most of the state’s poorest uninsured residents, according to a study published today in the journal Health Affairs. While some hospitals around the country have voluntarily agreed to reduce how much they […]
Final Rule Upholds Increased Rewards, Penalties For Wellness Participation
Employers will be able to increase rewards to workers who participate in wellness programs under final rules released Wednesday by the Obama administration. The final rules, similar to those proposed in November as part of the Affordable Care Act, have raised concerns among advocates who represent people with chronic or severe illnesses, as well as […]
Hospitals, Testing Companies Face Questions About Value Of Community Screenings
Promotions don’t disclose that many of the tests for heart disease and stroke are not recommended for those without symptoms or risk factors.
Health Perks Geared To Top Workers Could Trigger Penalties Under Health Law
Employers who offer more generous benefits to highly paid workers could face $100-a-day fines for every worker who doesn’t get them.
