Tag: health insurance exchange

State insurance regulators start approving rate hikes to cover Trump’s slashed subsidies

Nordstrom
trump health insurance regulators premiums rates

Officials in Maryland have already given their approval to the last minute increases, but others are following. Insurance regulators in many states are starting to look into last minute health plan rate increases to compensate for the elimination of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Michigan officials have warned that they are already looking into the increases that they are likely to approve. At the same time, Maryland insurance regulators have already given their approval to the rate hikes. These increases are a direct response to President Trump’s executive order that eliminated…

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Humana intends to step out of Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges

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affordable care act health insurance coverage

The health insurer announced that it would no longer be selling individual plans on the public marketplace in 2018. Humana announced that it would no longer sell health insurance through the exchanges created through the Affordable Care Act. It will be withdrawing from the marketplace in 2018. With this withdrawal comes the first exit from the exchanges by a major health insurance company. As could be expected, President Trump grabbed the opportunity to tweet about the Affordable Care Act. He said Humana’s withdrawal was further evidence that The ACA needed…

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Extended health insurance enrollment deadline is today

Logan B.
health insurance enrollment

Last Thursday, federal officials announced the extension of the open enrollment period, but it’s nearly over. On Thursday night, federal officials announced an extension to the health insurance enrollment period. This gave consumers until today to sign up for health plans that would start their coverage on January 1. The extension will continue at the Affordable Care Act marketplaces until tonight at midnight. This lengthening of the period in which consumers could sign up is the second consecutive year this has happened. Last year, federal officials granted an extension to…

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Kentucky insurance exchange loses another health insurer

G. Turner
Kentucky insurance exchange health insurers

Baptist Health Plan has announced that it will no longer be selling its policies in the state in 2017. Baptist Health Plan has announced that it will be leaving the Kentucky insurance exchange next year. This will mean that approximately 7,000 people across the state will need to find new coverage for 2017. The health insurance company is the fourth largest in the state and notified officials of its decision via letter. The president of the insurance company, James S. Fritz, shared the reason for leaving the Kentucky insurance exchange…

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California Insurance Commissioner supports state-level public option

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As large insurers step out of many of the federal exchanges, the state is looking to lead the way with alternative options. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones supports a new state-level strategy that could enhance health insurance marketplace competition. The intention is to implement a public option within the state which could possibly make California a guinea pig for launching similar ideas in the rest of the country. “I think we should strongly consider a public option in California,” said Jones. California Insurance Commissioner Jones explained that the state is…

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