Though medical spending is on the rise, the amount paid from consumer pockets is falling. According to data released regarding consumer driven national healthcare spending in 2011 – the most recent complete year that this information is available – while the total amount that is actually coming out of the patient’s pocket is shrinking. These new figures from the government show that Americans are paying less for their medical costs. This is the case, despite the fast growth of health insurance with high deductibles, and the increasing employee contributions to…
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Health care reforms will place limits on costs paid by employees
Workers may no longer need to fear continuing spikes in out of pocket costs. In the pre-health care reforms environment, it had become a significant trend among small businesses to repeatedly hike deductibles and other costs that their workers were required to pay out of pocket in order to ensure that they would be able to continue to offer medical insurance in as coverage prices continue to rise. Now, the Affordable Care Act will limit the amount of cost that employers will be able to shift to workers. The federal health…
Read MoreMississippi challenge to Affordable Care Act dismissed
Affordable Care Act challenge dismissed by federal judge After the Affordable Care Act was upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this year, the 26 states opposing the federal health care law continued working to dismantle it while simultaneously complying with its provisions. Mississippi, however, was quick to file a follow up lawsuit challenging the law. This lawsuit managed to make its way to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, where federal judge Keith Starrett ruled that the challenge was “premature.” Challenge ruled as premature According to…
Read MoreReport highlights the sluggish growth of health care spending due to U.S. recession
The worldwide recession has had a major impact on the health care system of the U.S. The effects are quite obvious in terms of insurance. As thousands of people throughout the country lost their jobs, they also lost their health insurance coverage. The recession, which lasted from late December 2007 to the middle of 2009, suppressed health care spending in the U.S. significantly, according to the federal government. The Obama administration released a report this week from the Department of Health and Human Services showing the impact of the recession…
Read MoreHealth care reform faces more dangers than those posed by the Supreme Court and 2012 elections, say health care specialists
While the Affordable Care Act faces a questionable future with the coming Supreme Court hearing and the 2012 elections, the rising U.S. deficit may pose the greatest threat to the law. Both current and former health care professionals working with the Obama administration claim that the health care law may run aground, financially, as early as 2013 if the deficit is not addressed. The problems may be due to sluggish action from Congress and the rampant infighting between the two ruling parties of the government. The Affordable Care Act makes…
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