Tag: Alabama health insurance

Alabama Legislature blocks health insurance exchange bill

S.Vagus
Alabama Health Insurance

Legislative roadblocks keep exchange from moving forward As time goes by, more states are working to develop their mandatory health insurance exchanges. These insurance marketplaces are required by the Affordable Care Act, and each state must have a fully functioning, self sustaining exchange in place by 2014. Though the fate of the Affordable Care Act is currently pending a ruling from the Supreme Court, states have been working to comply with the law in order to avoid intervention from the federal government. In order for states to move forward with…

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Alabama governor vows to veto health insurance exchange bill

S.Vagus
Governor Bentley

Legislators making progress on exchange but are facing strong opposition Lawmakers in Alabama are working on getting a head start on the Affordable Care Act by establishing a health insurance exchange as quickly as possible. The House has recently passed a bill that lays out a framework for the exchange system, believing that this structure will expedite efforts to build a robust system. The health insurance exchange is expected to bring affordable coverage to thousands of Alabama residents, but that does not mean it is without its opponents, the chief…

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Alabama Insurance Exchange Commission to submit recommendations on a state-run exchange system by the end of this week

Alabama is moving closer to establishing its own health insurance exchange as the state’s Health Insurance Exchange Study Commission finishes its work this week. The agency was formed earlier this year at the order of Governor Robert Bentley. The agency was tasked with determining the proper course of action to take when the time comes to make an exchange program. The Commission plans to submit its proposals for the program later this week, at which point the state Legislature will vote on the fate of a state-run insurance exchange. Exact…

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Lowest health insurance competition found to be in Alabama

Nordstrom

According to a recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the least competitive market for health insurance in the United States is in Alabama. The Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit health policy organization and released the report which showed that 86 percent of the policies in the individual market in Alabama were sold by Blue Cross Blue Shield. In the small group market in that state, that insurer sold 96 percent of the policies. Though the report did indicate that individual insurers hold the majority of the insurance markets…

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Massachusetts and Vermont residents pay the highest individual health rates

A recent analysis has shown that in 2010, the most expensive individual health rates in the country were in Massachusetts and Vermont, with premiums up to and higher than $400 per month per person, which is about twice the average of the country. The information was collected by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which drew the data from the insurance company filings to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and discovered a significant discrepancy in the rates charged from one state to the next. The researchers are referring to their analysis…

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