The Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearing a case regarding the constitutionality of the 2010 Affordable Care Act on March 26. Many have assumed that the individual insurance mandate provision of the law, which requires all U.S. citizens to have some form of health insurance, would be among the first topics of discussion. The Court, however, has announced that the issue to be discussed will be whether a decision on the constitutionality of the law should be made now or delayed for the future. The Supreme Court may choose…
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Federal government allows state insurance authorities to choose their own insurance benefits packages
The federal government has released the benefits framework attached to the Affordable Care Act that will help shape the benefits millions of people will receive with their health insurance policies in the coming years. The government began working on the framework after states issued complaints about the health care law not being clear on how it would affect benefits. States have been vying for control of the matter, and now the federal government has agreed to allow state insurance regulators to decide the specifics of the benefits given to consumers.…
Read MoreHealth care reform faces more dangers than those posed by the Supreme Court and 2012 elections, say health care specialists
While the Affordable Care Act faces a questionable future with the coming Supreme Court hearing and the 2012 elections, the rising U.S. deficit may pose the greatest threat to the law. Both current and former health care professionals working with the Obama administration claim that the health care law may run aground, financially, as early as 2013 if the deficit is not addressed. The problems may be due to sluggish action from Congress and the rampant infighting between the two ruling parties of the government. The Affordable Care Act makes…
Read MoreObama gives states control over healthcare benefit levels
The Obama administration has announced that it has shifted the power from the federal government to the states themselves in deciding the level of medical benefits that will be required for coverage by insurance companies beginning in 2014. The purpose of this move was to help to eliminate the chance that there would be a clash between the states and the federal government regarding a foundational element of the new healthcare overhaul. The new regulation means that state leaders will hold more control over the limits for health insurance even…
Read MoreRole of the Federal Insurance Office questioned at recent panel hosted by the U.S. Treasury Department
As the insurance landscape begins to change and take a new form, the role of the Federal Insurance Office, a federal agency set up after the passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, is being questioned. Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department hosted a panel regarding new insurance regulations. At the panel, consumer advocacy groups, legislators and regulators offered their views of the Federal Insurance Office and what role it should play in the future’s insurance industry. The opinions given were varied, with many consumer groups claiming that the…
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