Washington lawmakers have passed a bill that opens the way for a health insurance exchange to take root in the state. The bill will set up rules that will help the state prepare for the construction of the exchange and govern its operation for the foreseeable future. Legislators believe that this will help the state fully comply with the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and will help it adhere to federal deadlines. Currently, the exchange is expected to be fully operational by January 2014. The rules established by the bill…
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91% of Texans to be insured by 2014, thanks to the Affordable Care Act
The Texas Medicaid Director, Billy Millwee, spoke to the House Public Health and Insurance committees this week regarding the Affordable Care Act. The director has been tracking the trends and effects that the federal health care law has birthed in the state and has come to a promising conclusion. Currently, 74% of the state’s residents have some form of health insurance coverage. Millwee claims that when the Affordable Care Act is fully enacted in 2014, this will jump to 91%. By that time, only 2.3 million Texans will have no…
Read MorePennsylvania to answer consumer questions regarding state’s health insurance exchange
As Pennsylvania continues its slow and steady march toward building a health insurance exchange, residents of the state are coming to the Department of Insurance with questions about how the exchange will affect them. The state’s Department of Insurance has been awarded a $1 million grant from the federal government to help keep consumers informed over the matter. With the money, the department has hired additional staff, whose purpose it is to answer the questions consumers have about the exchange and the Affordable Care Act. Pennsylvania has stood in opposition…
Read MoreThe answers to frequently asked questions about health insurance rate increases
Many consumers are facing increases to the insurance premiums that they pay for health coverage every month, and as a result of this, several questions are arising. In response, the industry is working to make information more readily available to help to answer these questions. Some of the more common question include the following: • Does the health care reform overhaul prevent health insurance companies from making their typical annual rate increases? The answer is “no”. However, the health care reforms do force insurance companies to take certain steps to…
Read MoreWhat can you do to reduce your health insurance premiums
The continued struggle of the economy has forced the country to try to keep healthcare spending down, and has forced many Americans to put off medical care due to financial constraints, but there are some things that can be done to minimize the amount that they spend on health insurance without sacrificing their coverage altogether. Being an informed customer can be a very important step to making sure that you are getting the most coverage at the lowest possible price, and to ensure that you are protected for everything that…
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