Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has embarked on a nationwide tour to help promote health care reform. Her first stop was the Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Monday night. The issue of reform has been one steeped in controversy since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Consumers are leery of the changes being made to the health care system and those coming to the insurance industry. Sebelius suggests that this may be due to misinformation or misconceptions of the reform…
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HHS rules that organizations with religious affiliations must provide coverage for contraceptives
The Obama administration recently introduced a new law that requires insurers to provide coverage for contraceptives. The plan has put many religious associations on edge as such coverage may run counter to their beliefs. This has led many of these associations to seek exemption from the rule. Such is the case with the University of Notre Dame, which petitioned the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be discounted from the law. Late last week, the HHS ruled that all institutions with religious affiliations must adhere to the law.…
Read MoreCommissioner Dave Jones reflects on achievements a year after taking office
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has been in office for a full year now and he has taken the occasion of this anniversary to reflect on the accomplishments he has been a part of from 2011. In a statement released by the state’s Department of Insurance, the Commissioner notes that his time in office has been filled with confrontation with the insurance industry. Indeed, many of the actions coming from the Commissioner have been met with opposition from insurers, especially the bid to give state regulators more authority over the…
Read MoreInsurers shave their heads to raise awareness of childhood cancer
This week in Las Vegas, Nevada, eight insurance executives from some of the largest insurance groups in the country had their heads shaved. Though the insurance industry is the target of rampaging criticisms, this was not an event where insurers were punished for their business practices. The event was organized by the AmWINS Group, a large insurance group based in California, in order to raise awareness for research concerning children with cancer. The event was part of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s fundraising efforts on the matter. Shaving the heads of…
Read MoreTexas consumers eligible for health insurance rebates may see a lower amount than originally thought
In Texas, some 690,000 consumers may receive approximately $160 million in insurance rebates in August. The money comes as part of the medical loss ratio provision of the Affordable Care Act, which dictates that insurers must pay at least 80% of the money they collect from premiums on medical care and if they cannot meet this standard they must return the money to policyholders. This may be good news for consumers, but state regulators are looking to cut the amount of rebates by three quarters. The state’s Insurance Department is…
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