This month, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin litigation on the controversial Affordable Care Act. The federal law seeks to radically change the structure of the country’s health care industry and introduces new insurance regulations that are aimed at benefiting consumers. The Act was signed into law in 2010 and has since been a point of contention for political leaders and legislators throughout the U.S. Many states have backed the Affordable Care Act, but others have filed lawsuits against the federal government, accusing the law of being unconstitutional. The Supreme…
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Health insurance analysis suggests that insurance may be completely unaffordable by 2031
Two leading medical professionals have published a new analysis of the future of health insurance in the latest issue of Annals of Family Medicine. Richard A. Young and Jennifer E. Devoe have taken a look at the Affordable Care Act and how it will affect the health insurance industry from when it is fully enacted in 2014 to the state of the industry in 2037. The study assumes that the federal health care law is successful in its goal of lowering health insurance premiums. Despite this supposed success, the study…
Read MoreDoctors save $19 million in malpractice insurance due to insurance rate regulation
The California Department of Insurance has revealed that there has been a total savings of approximately $19 million on the medical malpractice insurance premiums of medical care providers such as doctors and dentists, as the result of the rate regulation authority approval in that state geared toward reducing unjustified premiums. Equally, though, Consumer Watchdog Campaign has pointed out that the same protection for patients is being opposed by a doctors’ group. The Consumer Watchdog Campaign has been questioning the undisclosed links to the insurance industry of the leaders of the…
Read MoreAdding supplemental dental insurance to Medicare coverage
eHealth, Inc. subsidiary, PlanPrescriber, has now published a report for beneficiaries of Medicare who are looking to purchase additional stand-alone insurance that covers dental. Part A and B of Medicare (also known as the Original program) does not include dental in its coverage. Therefore, if a beneficiary of Medicare experiences a medical emergency where their teeth need care, the original plan might or might not provide coverage for the emergency, depending on who has provided the care. Furthermore, basic Medicare coverage does not provide the type of dental coverage that…
Read MoreSurvey shows that health insurance is growing more expensive but also more restrictive
A new survey released yesterday by Towers Watson, a leading professional service and consulting firm, and the National Business Group on Health, a trade organization, claims that health insurance is getting more expensive, but is also covering much less than it used to. The survey, which targeted several large companies throughout the U.S., shows that employees are paying more for their coverage this year than they have in the past. They are also subject to more restrictions on their insurance and health care options, with many benefits being cut by…
Read MorePennsylvania to answer consumer questions regarding state’s health insurance exchange
As Pennsylvania continues its slow and steady march toward building a health insurance exchange, residents of the state are coming to the Department of Insurance with questions about how the exchange will affect them. The state’s Department of Insurance has been awarded a $1 million grant from the federal government to help keep consumers informed over the matter. With the money, the department has hired additional staff, whose purpose it is to answer the questions consumers have about the exchange and the Affordable Care Act. Pennsylvania has stood in opposition…
Read MoreThe increased popularity of health plans with high deductibles are causing workers to pay more
As a growing number of companies are seeking to be able to continue to afford to provide their workers with health insurance, plans with high deductibles are becoming increasingly popular and are requiring those employees to pay more while receiving less. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s survey data from December, 2011, 27.7 million people of working age had a health insurance plan with a deductible of a minimum of $1,000 for individuals and a minimum of $2,000 for families. According to the report on the survey, the percentage…
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