Georgia is outspoken in its opposition to the federal health care reform, as are many other Southern states. Despite the efforts of these states to have the law declared unconstitutional, the law remains in place and states are still required to establish health insurance exchange programs. Unwilling to allow the federal government to take charge of the exchange if it cannot make the 2014 deadline, Georgia has launched a new panel of insurance experts and legislators to explore how an exchange would serve the people of the state. In terms…
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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…
Read MoreInstitute of Medicine submits recommendations for national health care package
The Institute of Medicine, a non-profit independent organization comprised of medical and insurance professionals, has submitted recommendations to the federal government concerning a health care initiative that would make basic benefits available to all Americans. The organization was tasked by Congress to determine action regarding the initiative earlier this year. Researchers have been examining the potential impact the plan would have on the nation’s economy and how it would synergize with the overarching health care law. According to the Institute, such a plan is well worth the effort. According to…
Read MoreGeorgian judges rule against federal health insurance mandate
A federal appeals court in Atlanta, Georgia, has ruled against the federal insurance mandate as laid out by the Affordable Care Act. The ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals is only the second in the nation where judges founding the mandate unconstitutional. This is a major victory for opponents of the health insurance mandate as the ruling will hasten the law to the Supreme Court where its ultimate fate will be decided. Georgia has opposed the concept of a federally imposed health insurance mandate since the law was…
Read MoreStates prepare for health insurance rate control struggles
As it is the states that have control over the healthcare and health insurance within them, and not the federal government, it is now up to state officials to get the most out of the Obama administration’s reforms to the healthcare system to keep insurance rates under control. The federal government has been pushing insurers to hold back large increases in their rates and will, starting in September, make it necessary for insurance companies to experience greater analysis before they will be permitted to increase their rates by 10 percent…
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