The end is nigh for one of the federal government’s most popular and well-used insurance plans. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, more famously known as COBRA, will no longer be subsidized by the government beginning next week. The demise of the subsidy, which has provided insurance coverage to millions of unemployed citizens throughout the nation by lowering the cost of COBRA, has been met with little fanfare. After the subsidy ends, the options for those unable to afford conventional insurance coverage will become slimmer. Despite being designed to help…
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Exemption request from mandatory health insurance for health care workers
One of the more controversial provisions in the new health care reform law is that U.S. citizens will be required to have some form of health insurance coverage. While the federal government seeks to make this possible through the establishment of health insurance exchanges throughout the country, the fact remains that insurance is expensive. Currently, many citizens receive coverage through their employers, but not every company continues to offer such benefits. Those that do not have these benefits are left to come up with a solution on their own. It…
Read MoreInsurance statistics for 2011 look grim
According to a recent survey, a large percent of the 50 million people in the U.S. who are uninsured, have practically no savings. On the average, families with no insurance can only afford to pay off about 12 percent of their total hospital bill. The uncompensated cost of care (health care the uninsured can’t pay) is more than 70 billion dollars a year. Another survey shows that last year 75 million adults did not get health care they needed; they skipped doctor appointments, went without prescription medication, didn’t go to…
Read MoreThe latest battle over Maine health insurance bill
As health care reform continues to be a hotly contested issue throughout the nation, Maine is embroiled in its own battle regarding the state’s health insurance regulations. Earlier this week, a bill was introduced that would seek to overhaul the current regulatory standard in the hopes of increasing competition in the state’s health insurance market, thereby driving down insurance rates. Introduced by Representative Jonathan McKane (R), the bill has received rigid opposition from Democrats who say that consumer protections are being put at risk. The promise that the bill will…
Read MoreOregon health insurance rates on the rise
Health insurance providers in Oregon have been seeking approval for rate increases for nearly a year. Some may be getting their wish, but will not be able to raise rates as much as they had originally planned. The Oregon Insurance Division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services has granted approval for half of the rate proposals they have been reviewing over the past year. While many companies will not see the increases they had hoped for, consumers stand to save more money on their policies. The Division approved…
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