Health Insurers Face An Uncertain Future
Insurers battle to increase profits while adapting to health law's new constraints.
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Insurers battle to increase profits while adapting to health law's new constraints.
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers questions about the insurance landscape under the new health law.
Insurers say the old policies fail to meet the law's requirements, but some consumers complain about being forced to buy more expensive policies.
In Washington state, 80 percent of Democrats surveyed approve of the Affordable Care Act while 80 percent of Republicans don't, according to an Elway Poll conducted on behalf of The Seattle Times.
A federal proposal to reduce the number of hospitals that carry the 'critical access' designation could cost 60 Texas hospitals that status, along with their enhanced Medicare reimbursements, potentially jeopardizing their survival.
Number of policies offered will vary depending on the state.
After 300,000 Floridians receive notices that their plans will expire, Florida Blue, the state's largest insurance company, assures customers they will be eligible for new, ACA compliant plans.
Individuals purchasing a policy outside the exchange won't qualify for subsidies, however.
Brokers and insurers can sell their traditional products, but they may also sell some plans available on the marketplaces that offer subsidies for customers.
Consumers should start now thinking about their options and should weigh the total costs, not just premiums, as well as the network of doctors and hospitals associated with each plan.
Care is particularly aggressive in the Philadelphia area, according to a Dartmouth Atlas study.
The health law's new online insurance marketplaces will create new opportunities for people who lose their jobs and their employer-based health coverage, but consumer advocates worry they may not realize this and lock themselves into pricier coverage than they need.
Even the same plan can carry dramatically different price tags in different areas
The price of premiums isn't the only expense to consider when evaluating policies from the insurance marketplace.
They can expect to be bombarded by messages from both proponents and critics of the law.
Brad Stevens, 54, learned the hard way that being uninsured was risky as accidents and illness took a toll. Soon, he'll qualify for California's expanded Medicaid program.
FactCheck.org has gotten lots of questions about the law and has found that there's a lot of wrong information out there.
In response to readers' questions, columnist explains that all policies offered on the online exchanges must cover 10 "essential health benefits," but the plans will be classified according to the proportion of costs that consumers will be responsible for paying.
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