Live Insurance News

Health insurance rates are dropping in the US

July 30, 2013July 29, 2013 S.Vagus

Health insurance exchanges cause a drop in coverage costs As health insurance exchanges begin to take form throughout the U.S., these organizations are announcing that rates for coverage will be considerably lower than expected in many parts of the country. These exchanges are meant to begin open enrollment nationwide beginning in October of this year, with the policies they sell going active on January 1, 2014. Critics of the Affordable Care Act had warned that health insurance rates would skyrocket due to the federal law, but exchanges are beginning to…

Health insurance premiums are a motivator to live healthier

May 11, 2013May 25, 2013 Julie Campbell

A recent study has shown that coverage costs can encourage people to exercise more and get fit. There was a great deal of controversy that arose when a health insurance company first started charging higher rates for individuals who were obese, but whether or not it is deemed appropriate or fair, a recent study has shown that it can give people the motivation they need to bring their weight down to healthier levels. When policyholders were given the choice to lose weight or pay more, they quickly started dieting. According…

Health insurance rates increases of extreme levels may be premature

May 9, 2013May 7, 2013 G. Turner

Consumers are cautioned not to take estimates of hikes in premiums seriously, just yet. As the health insurance marketplaces are just being established and the very first estimates are starting to be released regarding the impact of these exchanges on the cost of the coverage, experts and officials are cautioning consumers not to take the numbers at face value, just yet. There are many different factors to consider, and they have not yet all been applied to the estimates. For example, in April, Maryland released the premiums that would be…

Health insurance may represent a tax risk for consumers

April 12, 2013April 30, 2013

Tax risks regarding health insurance begin to attract notice As the Affordable Care Act inches closer to becoming fully enacted, there is no shortage of worry that the federal health care law is generating throughout the country. As insurers warn that health insurance coverage will become more expensive next year and states continue to battle the Affordable Care Act on general principle, the law’s provisions are beginning to show the possibility that they could expose many consumers throughout the country to significant tax risks. Federal law offers subsidies for health…

Health insurance bill passed to open Kansas market

April 8, 2013April 30, 2013

The House was struggling with the bill that would permit insurers to sell very basic coverage in the state. On the last day of the regular session in Kansas, the House dedicated hours to debates, re-considerations and the pushing back of a bill, which was finally passed in order to allow the state to add bare bones health insurance policies to its market. The purpose of the bill is to help to make the coverage more affordable than what is currently out there. Senate Bill 163, which has been nicknamed…

Health insurance marketplace to provide coverage to almost 81,000 N. Pennsylvanians

April 1, 2013March 29, 2013 G. Turner

Many residents in the northeast of the state will be able to take advantage of the assistance it provides. As of a newly released report, it has been estimated that almost 81,000 people in Northeast Pennsylvania will be eligible for purchasing health insurance that is subsidized by the government when the marketplace opens up in the state for coverage next year. The report gave details of exactly who will receive this eligibility in the state when the exchange opens. The name of the report is “Help is at Hand: New…

Health insurance price limits for older beneficiaries held by federal government

February 26, 2013February 26, 2013 G. Turner

The Obama administration sticks to its restrictions on what insurers are allowed to charge. The federal government has now finalized a regulation for health insurance companies that is designed to safeguard consumers through tighter restrictions on what those insurers are allowed to charge older beneficiaries. The government made the decision despite warnings from the industry that everyone else may need to pay more. Health insurance companies have warned the Obama administration that if older customers are not allowed to pay more for their coverage, then younger policyholders may see their…