Reeling from the impact of Hurricane Irene, South Carolina has not lost sight of opposing federal health care reform. Tony Keck, head of the state’s Health and Human Serviced Department, announced Thursday that the state would be rejecting millions of dollars in federal grants that would have been used to help the state build a health insurance exchange. The exchange would have helped residents of the state find affordable insurance coverage and, theoretically, reduce the overall cost of insurance policies within the state as insurers fought for customers. South Carolina…
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Part III – Official goals and challenges of U.S. health care reform – A hope for better care, delivery, and costs
We have journeyed through the aspirations of the up-in-coming reform of the U.S. health care system with cost cutting tactics, preventative procedures, incentivizing medical industry and now, in part three, we will review the last set of guidelines through measure and patients rights. Helping individuals to take control over their own medical needs Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC) – beneficiaries will be able to obtain information on the incidence of serious HACs as they occur at various hospitals. Hospitals will experience a decrease in payments if they have a high rate of HACs…
Read MoreGeorgia eyeballs health care reform ramifications before jumping in
A new panel has been formed in Georgia to determine whether or not the state will benefit from creating a health insurance exchange. The panel is comprised of a group of legislators, health care experts and representatives of advocacy groups, all appointed by Governor Nathan Deal. The group will be tasked with examining how an exchange will impact small businesses in the state and if the program will reduce insurance prices as it promises to. Governor Deal asserts that no decision regarding whether the state should established an exchange should…
Read MoreColorado on board with new health care reform changes
Colorado is taking steps to create a health insurance exchange as Governor John Hickenlooper signs a bill that would make the effort possible. Colorado is the eighth state to voluntarily adhere to the health care reform law championed by President Obama. The bill will also set up a regulatory group to oversee the exchange. The group will be comprised of nine members, four of which coming from the insurance industry. The Governor is tasked with finding these members, a search he has already been doing nearly a month before he…
Read MoreLatest in health care reform trends and oppositions
Recent insurance industry figures show that more Americans are receiving health insurance coverage than in previous years. This may be due, at least in part, to the Affordable Care Act, which has pushed many insurance companies to offer more affordable policies. In the first quarter of 2011, insurance companies around the nation were reporting that 600,000 Americans obtained some form of health coverage. The majority of these people were under the age of 26, showing that younger people are finding access to the coverage they need. The amount of young…
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