Live Insurance News

Pennsylvania governor considers health insurance exchange contingency plan

May 5, 2015May 2, 2015 Julie Campbell

Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration will be looking to create a strategy for state residents who could lose federal subsidies. The office of Governor Tom Wolf (D) of Pennsylvania has now announced that his administration will be writing a contingency plan for the health insurance exchange users in the state who risk losing their federal subsidies for their premiums. This plan is being designed just in case a June ruling from the U.S. Supreme court withdraws the tax credits. It is expected that the U.S. Supreme court will have made its…

Colorado health insurance exchange may get higher fees

May 1, 2015April 29, 2015 S.Vagus

Connect for Health Colorado board members consider raising fee on individual policies Insurance costs for policies sold through Colorado’s health insurance exchange could be growing. Connect for Health Colorado board members, whom manage the exchange, are currently considering increasing a fee on individual health plans in order to raise money next year. The fee that is currently in place is meant to provide funding for the exchange’s operations, ensuring that it is a solvent business. Board members believe that the fee is too low, however, which may lead to financial…

Health insurance must be purchased by Californians by today

April 30, 2015April 28, 2015 Julie Campbell

The residents of that state will need to buy their coverage or they will face a tax penalty for the full year. Californians who haven’t yet purchased their health insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act have until the end of the day, today, to obtain their coverage and stop themselves from facing a tax penalty for the whole year. The second, extended enrollment period for the health care reform is now coming to an official close. Technically speaking, the health insurance enrollment period was supposed to have come to…

Health insurance exchange in Tennessee could be blocked

March 4, 2015March 3, 2015 Julie Campbell

Senator Brian Kelsey has proposed a bill that would stop the state from being able to launch its own marketplace. Tennessee Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown), who played a central role in ending Governor Bill Haslam’s (R) Medicaid extension plan for 280,000 residents of the state within low incomes, is now setting his sights on 230,000 people who already have coverage under the federal health insurance exchange. The bill that Sen. Kelsey has proposed would block the state from forming its own online insurance marketplace. The state of Tennessee would not…

Health insurance deadline extended in New York

February 16, 2015February 14, 2015 G. Turner

Some consumers in the state now have an extra two weeks to purchase their cover from the exchange. Although most states across the country faced a deadline of last Sunday in which to purchase their health insurance coverage, the New York Health Department announced on Friday that residents of the state would have an additional two weeks in which to complete the process. That said, this extension for using the insurance exchange in New York applies only to certain people. The extension has not been put in place in order…

Health insurance exchange site boosts privacy

January 28, 2015January 27, 2015 Julie Campbell

Broad alterations are being made by the Obama administration to keep consumer information safe. According to several reports, the Obama administration seems to be implementing a range of different changes to the federal health insurance exchange website in order to ensure that consumer information is being better protected. This move comes in response to objections that have been made by privacy advocates and lawmakers. The Associated Press (AP) reported that certain details, such as the income of consumers, as well as whether or not they were tobacco users, was being…

Penalties are coming for those without health insurance

January 22, 2015January 20, 2015 Nordstrom

Lack of insurance coverage is becoming an expensive problem Those that do not have health insurance may be surprised to find themselves with fines levied against them by the federal government after they file taxes. This year, those filing taxes must inform the Internal Revenue Service of their insurance status. Those without coverage will face a fine, while those with coverage will not. The average fine for those that have not had coverage over the past year will be $95, or 1% of a household income, whichever is greater. The…