The American Medical Association has started to apply pressure to the states in order to send the system in a direction that would permit all health insurance companies of meeting the minimum standards to take part in the insurance exchanges that will be created by 2014 as a part of the healthcare overhaul. This significant doctors organization has announced that it will be putting its full support behind the health insurance exchange structure that allows for an open marketplace instead of the “active purchaser” style alternative. That latter technique would…
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U.S. Supreme Court to review Obama’s healthcare overhaul
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to perform a review of the healthcare overhaul by the Obama administration in order to determine if it is constitutional. This debate will no doubt be a topic that will help to decide the shape of the presidential election in 2012, and will help to determine how much power the federal government will have over healthcare and insurance. The Supreme Court justices have said that they will be considering the constitutionality of the healthcare overhaul’s requirement that all Americans must purchase health insurance by…
Read MoreD.C. court upholds the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act
If there was ever any doubt that the Affordable Care Act would make it to the Supreme Court, a new ruling from a federal appeals court in the District of Columbia may have made it a sure thing. A panel of judges from the Court of Appeals in D.C. has ruled that the Affordable Care Act, particularly the provision for mandatory health insurance, is constitutional. The ruling conflicts with that coming from other appeals courts throughout the country that have deemed the law unconstitutional. To date, 26 states have filed…
Read MoreOregon health care reform approved by Senate
Oregon is one step closer to passing a bill that would allow for the creation of a health insurance exchange. Late last week, the House Health Care Committee approved the bill, which will now await a final vote in the Senate. The bill will also establish a public agency that will oversee the exchange and regulate rate changes therein. The agency will be funded from a portion of fees collected by insurance companies that are participating in the exchange program. State officials expect that the program will be operational in…
Read MoreHas Oklahoma started a trend for states opposing health care reform?
If the federal government gave your state more than 50 million dollars, what do you think they would do with it? Would they give it back? It isn’t often that you would see a state turning down federal money, but that is exactly what is happening in Oklahoma. They are turning down 54 million dollars in federal grant money. The 54 million dollars in federal grant funding was going to be given to the state as a part of the new federal healthcare law. The Department of Health and Human…
Read MoreThe battle over health care reform dominance continues with a few good swings
The newly enacted Health Reform law is taking hits again. The House Republicans voted to repeal grant funding for a part of the health care law that would create insurance exchanges across the states. These marketplaces would let individuals and (small) businesses shop and compare policies and their prices. The Republicans voted to deny the funding for the insurance marketplace plan, which is a key element of the reform law. The Republicans feel that it gives too much power to the government to set coverage and plan details. The Republicans…
Read MoreColorado: Health Insurance Exchange Provision Won Over by Majority
Colorado has been the scene of an intense legislative battle regarding health insurance exchanges. As part of the Affordable Care Act, the provision has enemies among the Republican, most notably in the Tea Party sect. However, the many high ranking members of the Republican Party support exchanges, saying that it will benefit residents of the state more than hurt them. Despite this support, the bill that would make the exchange possible was in peril late Wednesday night. Senate Bill 200 was originally proposed by Amy Stephens, the House Majority Leader.…
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