Category: Health Care Reform

America’s health care system is undergoing many changes – it’s hard for insurance professionals to keep updated let alone consumers. Here we make it easy and publish daily articles on the changes and challenges that health care reform has ahead.

The Rising Tide of Uninsured Americans and the Looming Threat of ACA Subsidies Ending in 2026

Live Insurance News
The Rising Tide of Uninsured Americans and the Looming Threat of ACA Subsidies Ending in 2026

Uninsured Americans Rise to 27.1 Million in Early 2024, CDC Reports The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are sounding alarms across the healthcare landscape. More than 8% of Americans were uninsured during the first months of 2024, a significant uptick from the record-low uninsured rates observed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 27.1 million Americans of all ages lacked health insurance by March 2024. This marks an increase of 3.4 million uninsured individuals…

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Health insurance gone for 24,000 kids on Kansas Medicaid

Marc
Health Insurance - Kids dropped from Medicaid

As the state continues its “unwinding review”, thousands of children have lost coverage The massive Medicaid “unwinding” review in Kansas has resulted in a massive number of children losing their health insurance coverage from the state program. Almost half of those who lost coverage were kids In fact, estimates show 47 percent of those who lost their health insurance following the Kansas Medicaid eligibility unwinding were children aged 18 years old or younger.  Kansas Action for Children senior policy advisor Heather Braum predicted in a recent Kansas Reflector report that…

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Will the federal government make dental insurance available to everyone?

H. Cutner
Dental Insurance - US Flag

If a new rule moves forward, people could one day affordably enjoy care for their teeth Dental insurance is a kind of coverage carried by few people outside of benefits packages offered by employers, but that could change if a new federal rule is allowed to move forward. The idea is to make it easier for people to care for their smiles After all, without dental insurance, if someone suffers a cavity, a cracked tooth, or another type of painful dental injury, the out-of-pocket cost can be in the hundreds…

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Health insurance access boost on its way to DACA immigrants

H. Cutner
Health insurance - US Government - Health care

The Biden administration has expanded availability for those in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The Biden administration has announced that expanded health insurance access will be rolling out for participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The announcement was made from the White House This health insurance announcement for DACA program members addresses a sensitive issue and has arrived at a time when elections are approaching.  This move will open up the ability to enroll in coverage under the Affordable Care Act for about 100,000 people who…

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Oscar-winning actor says that celebrity status didn’t boost health insurance access

Nordstrom
Health insurance - Oscar trophy

Hilary Swank recently shared that despite her accolades, she couldn’t afford coverage Hilary Swank recently revealed that while people make assumptions about the wealth of award-winning actors, not everyone sees great advantage to their finances or health insurance access just because they win a trophy. Days after winning her Oscar, she didn’t have coverage Only days after Swank received the Oscar for her Boys Don’t Cry role in 2000, she went to the pharmacy to pick up some medication. That said, when she arrived at the counter to pay for…

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Health insurance scam victims get almost $100 million in FTC refunds

Nordstrom
Health insurance scam - Warning

Consumers previously charged for sham medical plans will receive refunds. The Federal Trade Commission has announced that consumers that were charged for Benefytt Technologies-marketed scam health insurance plans will receive a refund as part of a total $100 million. This is the outcome of an FTC complain from August 2022 Benefytt and its third-party partners allegedly ran a number of deceptive websites aimed at consumers who were shopping for comprehensive health insurance plans that were Affordable Care Act qualified.  Agents were allegedly selling the Benefytt plans even though they were…

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Virginia Senator Kaine seeks Affordable Care Act health insurance changes

Logan B.
Health insurance - ACA Virginia Flag

Along with Senator Baldwin, changes to the ACA Essential Health Benefits are sought Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are seeking to update the Essential Health Benefits in Affordable Care Act health insurance plans. The current ACA plans are required to cover 10 categories Among the categories Affordable Care Act health insurance plans must cover are mental health services and prescription drugs. According to Virginia Health Catalyst CEO Sarah Bedard Holland, failure to act will only allow the current medical debt crisis to worsen. “Four in 10…

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