Fate of the insurance industry may rest upon the Supreme Court’s ruling on the federal health insurance mandate

The future of the Affordable Care Act will soon rest in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. The law, passed last year, has generated an overwhelming amount of controversy surrounding the various provisions it seeks to enact. No provision is more controversial than the health insurance mandate, which requires all U.S. citizens to purchase some kind of health insurance by 2014. To date, 26 states have filed lawsuits against the federal government seeking to have the law deemed unconstitutional. Judges in these states have already branded the law as…

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State Governors voice their concerns for state autonomy as health insurance exchanges become a reality

The National Governors Association has written a letter to the U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius regarding federally mandated health insurance exchanges. The exchanges have received mixed reviews from state officials, many of whom are still grappling with the vague guidelines provided to them by the Department of Health and Human Services. In the letters, Governors detail how the exchanges may damage a state’s autonomy, as the federal government may end up taking control of certain aspects of the exchange initiative. While the letter does not decry the establishment of exchanges,…

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Wisconsin to seek waiver from controversial Affordable Care Act measure

Wisconsin is seeking to obtain a waiver from the federal government that would provide the state’s insurance companies with immunity against a new health care law that would require them to pay at least 80% of the money collected from premiums on medical care. The law is part of the controversial Affordable Care Act, which, as a whole, has been met with varying degrees of opposition from the nation’s insurance industry and legislators. Governor Scott Walker claims that the waiver is necessary for insurers to remain competitive, and hopes to…

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Legal battle regarding federal insurance mandate to take place in Minnesota this week

The latest development in the ongoing saga of opposition against the federal Affordable Care Act is set to take place the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Minnesota this week. The provision in question is an insurance mandate imposed by the new law that states that all U.S. citizens must purchase some kinds of health insurance or face major penalties. Two Missouri residents have filed a lawsuit against the federal government concerning the matter. While the lawsuit itself comes only from two people, they are backed by…

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Obama administration’s nationwide health insurance framework

The federal government has – through the announcement of a framework for the Obama administration’s basic benefits package for Americans who are privately insured –made public its decision to play a vital role in the healthcare of the country, and the reforms it has made to it. The Institute of Medicine, a non-government, independent organization, has released a report with the guidelines for what is called the “essential benefits package”, as well as the way in which it will be kept affordable for both taxpayers and small businesses, while it…

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