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 MoreTag: health insurance for individuals
Highmark announces the launch of new low premium and deductible individual health insurance coverage
Highmark has announced the availability of a new form of individual health insurance plan called the Simply Blue PPO, which is designed to provide policyholders with simple coverage at a low premium, with a predictable structure for copayments and with low deductibles. According to Highmark’s senior vice president of health services strategy, product and marketing, Steven Nelson, “We listened to our members’ feedback, and we’ve heard them say that they would like a more affordable plan without a large upfront deductible.” The new plan is medically underwritten and offers policyholders…
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 MoreTips to save your money when purchasing health insurance coverage
With the start of the new year, many people have made resolutions to save more money, and in that effort, it is not uncommon to look over health insurance coverage to make sure that what has already been purchased or what will be purchased in the near future will include the best possible savings but with the coverage that makes the most sense to each individual. Use the following tips to help achieve this goal: • Do your homework and compare all of the different health plans available to you…
Read MoreReport shows that West Virginia’s health insurance costs are rising dramatically
The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation working to improve the health care system, has released a new report concerning the state of health insurance premiums in West Virginia. According to the report, premiums in the state have risen by 55% in the last decade, with deductibles jumping by 84% in the same amount of time. The report suggests that the state has the 14th highest premiums in the nation. This puts major financial stress on state residents as West Virginia is home to the lowest median income in the U.S.…
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