U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D, San Francisco) has announced that she has placed her support behind a controversial ballot measure that would give state insurance regulators the authority to approve California health coverage rates. As one of the most highly respected politicians in California, the support by Feinstein – who is now the chief spokesperson and head booster of the initiative – this high-stakes move suddenly has a great deal more weight behind it. This initiative is designed to provide effective regulation over increases in health premiums. According to an…
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Idaho insurers will be able to participate in federally-run insurance exchange
In Idaho, the issue of a health insurance exchange has been a controversial one since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. State lawmakers have been divided on the issue primarily due to their uncertainty about whether or not the state’s insurance companies could participate in the exchange program. Legislators had been concerned that if they chose not to build an exchange and allow the federal government to do it for them that the exchange would only be populated by large insurance corporations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield.…
Read MoreHealth insurance may face obsolescence at the hands of accountable care organizations
As the insurance news concerning the health industry begins to change, many are beginning to question how necessary insurance companies actually are. For centuries, insurers have provided access to policies that allow businesses and individuals to enjoy some degree of protection against unforeseeable events. People rely on insurance companies to handle the risks associated with daily life, but fall victim to the whims of these companies that are very much business oriented. When the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, it opened the way for a new…
Read MoreMore investment in nanotechnology research needed, says National Research Council
Scientists from the National Research Council in the U.S. are urging insurers to invest more money in studying nanotechnology. The technology has advanced significantly in the past decade and now holds major promise in medical applications and consumer products. Council scientists say that the potential health hazards of the technology are not yet fully understood and that an additional $24 million a year is required to fill in the knowledge shortfall. Without an intimate understand of the risks associated with nanotechnology, consumers could face unforeseen dangers that will have a…
Read MoreState of the Union: President Obama touches briefly on the issue of health care
President Obama delivered his third State of the Union on Tuesday. The president spoke about many issues concerning the U.S. in his speech, but only made one mention of the controversial Affordable Care Act he signed into law in 2010. In his address, the president noted that it was no longer possible for insurance companies to operate with impunity and must submit to new regulations that help protect consumers. Obama also stated that part of the goal of the health care reform law was to get rid of regulations that…
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