Tag: health insurance companies

Individual mandate repeal causes health insurance gap in many states

Nordstrom
Health Insurance Gap - Mind the Gap platform

Several states are now scrambling to come up with a way to make coverage more affordable. After the individual mandate penalties were removed for failing to purchase coverage, a health insurance gap has formed in many states across the country. This has left some states struggling to make their health care affordable. As people drop their coverage health care in the states will become increasingly expensive. The only state in the country that required coverage after last year’s dismantling of the Affordable Care Act was Massachusetts. Increasingly unfavorable markets caused…

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Ohio health insurance companies release recommendations to fight opioid abuse crisis

Logan B.
Opioid abuse crisis - Ohio health insurance - hands reaching for pills

Eight of the largest insurers in the state issued fifteen recommendations to combat the epidemic. Eight of Ohio’s largest health insurance companies have issued a list of 15 recommendations to fight the opioid abuse crisis. The misuse of these serious drugs has reached epidemic proportions within Ohio and many other states. The insurance companies have attempted to find areas where reasonable action is possible in combating the opioid abuse crisis. Among the recommendations are efforts to identify pregnant addicts to make certain they obtain the treatment they need. That said,…

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Health insurance exchanges have at least one offering in every U.S. county

Marc
health insurance exchanges

The Affordable Care Act was previously threatened by possible bare patches in plan availability. Earlier in 2017, it appeared as though the health insurance exchanges in several states would suffer bare counties in the 2018 open enrollment period. That said, the situation has turned around and every county continues to have a minimum of one option available. Though President Trump had claimed that the insurance marketplaces were failing, they appear to be healing. President Trump had been pointing to the problem of counties without plans available through the health insurance…

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Four health insurance companies violated mental health coverage law

Logan B.
mental health insurance companies

The state of Oregon has accused four insurers in failing to cover certain treatments including one for autism. The state of Oregon is currently calculating potential fines for four health insurance companies that failed to comply with the law for covering certain mental health treatments, including one for autism. State law requires insurance companies to provide mental and physical coverage in a similar way. The regulation in Oregon states that health insurance companies “cannot categorically deny coverage,” for mental health care and therapies, such as for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA),…

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Will Trump health care system lower your premiums?

Julie Campbell
Trump Health Care Congress Speech - Last Week Tonight John Oliver

Despite the intention to sell health insurance across state lines, many don’t forecast dropping rates. President Donald Trump spoke before Congress for the first time and reaffirmed his intention for a new Trump health care system. Among the primary changes to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) would be the ability for health insurance companies to sell policies across state lines. That said, many analysts are doubtful that this change to the law will reduce health insurance premiums. The actual details of a future Trump health care reform still have yet…

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Health insurance companies are making Americans happier

Julie Campbell
affordable care act health insurance coverage

Recent data shows that consumers are more satisfied with their insurers than they were 2 years ago. New research is showing that people like their health insurance companies more now than they did a couple of years ago. At the same time that they seem more satisfied with their insurers, they have not warmed up to the Affordable Care Act. As insurance company satisfaction rises, people are liking the Affordable Care Act less than they previously did. Despite the fact that coverage is weakening and premiums are rising, health insurance…

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Americans are shopping outside health insurance exchanges for coverage

H. Cutner
Group Health Insurance Exchanges

Millions of people are buying health plans off the marketplaces to avoid massive rate hikes. As premiums are headed skyward at many health insurance exchanges, people are looking for alternatives. Many Americans have decided to stop shopping in those official markets. Instead, they are purchasing health plans through insurance companies off the exchanges. The purpose is to try to avoid being faced with the rate hikes that are often in the double digits. The Obama administration is working to reverse this trend. The goal is to make health insurance exchanges…

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