Amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the federal health care laws, Florida has opted to take its own approach on a mandated insurance marketplace. The law requires that all states have a working health insurance exchange in place by 2014. The exchanges are meant to be an online insurance marketplace where consumers can find affordable policies. Florida stood in opposition for the federal health care law since it was passed in 2010, and state legislators have expressed their discontent for the exchange initiative in the past. Now, the state is attempting to…
Read MoreTag: federal health care law
Arkansas Insurance Commissioner seeks financial aid for insurance exchange while facing down opposition from lawmakers
Arkansas’ Insurance Commissioner is attempting to rally support from state lawmakers to help establish a health insurance exchange. Commissioner Jay Bradford is urging legislators to back a grant application that, if approved, would bring $3.8 million in federal funding to the state. Arkansas lawmakers have been leery of the federally mandated insurance exchanges due to their association with the controversial Affordable Care Act, which the state opposes. Governor Mike Beebe has said that he will not seek out federal funding unless the state’s Legislature shows support for an exchange. The…
Read MoreNew Hampshire regulators to receive federal grants to improve state’s insurance system
New Hampshire insurance regulators are set to receive $3.56 million in federal grants over the next three years in accordance with the federal health care law. The state’s Insurance Department is welcoming the money with open arms, hoping to utilize the funds to help some of the regulatory shortfalls that have befallen the state in recent years. While regulators have yet to determine the breadth of their plans for the funds, officials have noted that some of the money will be used to instill more transparency in the state’s insurance…
Read MoreMissouri postpones further health insurance exchange efforts
Following the voicing of concerns by several Republican senators, insurance officials from Missouri have taken a step back away from intentions to begin spending millions of dollars from the federal government on an investment into the computer technology that would be required to put a central element of the new federal health care law into place. In August, Missouri had been awarded a federal grant of $21 million to be applied to the preparation for the health insurance exchange to be created and run by the state and would allow…
Read MoreInsurance legislation meets veto from Connecticut’s Governor
Earlier this month, the Connecticut Insurance Legislation passed a bill that would require the state to host a public symposium regarding rate proposals from the state’s health insurers. State residents would be able to attend the gathering and listen to insurer’s outline their plans for rate increases or decreases as well as ask questions regarding these issues. The symposium would have been mandatory before regulators could approve or reject proposals, but Governor Dannel Malloy vetoed the measure as it came to his desk late last week. In a message that…
Read MoreAmerican Cancer Society opposes exclusion of insurance sales commissions from administration spending limits
Regardless of not having performed a single study or impact analysis on the legislation, the American Cancer Society has recently opposed an effort in Congress to exclude insurance sales commissions from the regulations that control the maximum amount that can be spent on administration by insurers. The reason that the American Cancer Society is standing against the congressional effort is that it claims that it will lead to a rise in insurance premiums. Many argue that there is no proof, numerical, or statistical evidence that would suggest this, but at…
Read MoreFederal regulators step in to take charge of Idaho’s review of insurance rates
A number of private insurance companies in Idaho have submitted rate increase proposals to the state’s Department of Insurance. Normally, the issues would be handled by state regulators, but the federal government will be stepping in to handle the investigation beginning in the fall. This move is inspired by an executive order from Governor C.L. Otter, which has banned the state from adhering to the overarching federal health care law. Otter’s order means that the state is unable to comply with federal regulations regarding insurance rates. Because the state cannot…
Read More