Live Insurance News

Health care reform in California reverses position on abortion insurance

August 25, 2014August 25, 2014 G. Turner

Insurers in the state will no longer be able to sell plans that limit or exclude coverage for the procedure. Among the latest parts of the health care reform in California has been a regulation that states that insurers will no longer be able to sell policies that include limitations or exclusions of abortion coverage, according to the administration of Governor Jerry Brown. This represents a complete reversal of the position that had previously been held in California. The Department of Managed Health Care has now put out letters to…

California health insurance exchange is shrinking

August 18, 2014August 16, 2014 Logan B.

Exchanges are adding new carriers in many parts of the US, but not in California Insurance exchanges in some states are adding new carriers that will be supplying coverage to consumers beginning in November of this year. This coverage will go into effect on January 1, 2015. California is one of the only states whose exchange did not welcome a new carrier this year. Covered California, as the state’s exchange is called, is experiencing a somewhat unique problem in the availability of health insurance coverage. The state’s exchange is becoming…

Health insurance rate increases in California may not be beneficial for insurers

August 13, 2014August 11, 2014 S.Vagus

Insurers could be having trouble keeping up with the rate of medical inflation Fitch Ratings expects that health insurance rate increases in California will be a benefit for non-profit hospitals, but their impact on insurance companies is still uncertain. Insurers have been pushing for higher rates for the coverage they provide in the state and have been able to institute these rates regularly. The problem, however, is that the most recent round of rate increases may not be enough to help insurance companies keep up with the rate of medical…

Health insurance companies work to form massive database in California

August 8, 2014August 5, 2014 Marc

State’s largest insurers are planning to store medical information in a single database The medical information of millions of residents in California may soon be contained in a single, massive database. Two of the state’s largest health insurance companies are currently working to create this database and it may help make health care significantly more efficient. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California are behind the initiative and the companies believe that the database will eventually lead to more affordable health care, but it has raised serious privacy concerns…

More Californians have access to health insurance coverage than ever before

August 5, 2014August 2, 2014 Marc

Survey shows that insurance coverage is becoming more accessible The number of Californians without health insurance coverage has dropped dramatically since the state’s insurance exchange began operating in October of last year. According to a survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 60% of those that did not have insurance coverage before the exchange began accepting enrollees now have insurance coverage. Those that remain uninsured may be a problematic issue to deal with, however, when the exchange begins another open enrollment period in November of this year. 80% of those…