A new study has indicated that Americans who have either gained new health insurance or who have lost their coverage make more emergency room visits than people who have had a continuous insured or uninsured status. The results of the study are causing some concern, as the healthcare overhaul will be requiring an additional 32 million Americans to become newly insured by 2014. At the same time, the study findings have also indicated that the number of trips to the emergency room do tend to even out when a person’s…
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Results of 2012 National Critical Illness Insurance Buyer published
The American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, in association with General Re Life Corporation, has released a report based on the results of the 2012 National Critical Illness Insurance Buyer Study. The study showed that there is a growing number of people purchasing critical illness insurance in the demographic of those between the ages of 25 and 45. They are buying the coverage in order to ensure that they will have immediate cash payments available to them should they ever receive a diagnosis of a serious health condition. Approximately 49…
Read MoreThird day of litigation of Affordable Care Act still focused on insurance mandate, Justices touch briefly on Medicaid expansion
The third day of arguments concerning the Affordable Care Act took place on Wednesday this week. Though the schedule laid out by the Supreme Court earlier this month indicated that the third day of litigation would concern the health care law’s changes to Medicaid and Medicare, the Court’s Justices were keen to keep their attention on the law’s health insurance mandate. Justices are no longer focusing on the constitutionality of the mandate; however, they are now seeking an answer to a simple question: Can the health care law survive if…
Read MoreDay two of Affordable Care Act hearing in Supreme Court focuses on controversial insurance mandate
The Supreme Court began its second day of hearing the case against the controversial Affordable Care Act on Tuesday this week. The focus of day two was centered on whether Congress could require Americans to purchase health insurance. The Obama administration’s top lawyers were ready to defend the insurance mandate imposed by the health care law, but conservative Justices of the Court were quick to issue their concerns regarding the matter. This could signal some serious problems for the future of the Affordable Care Act. Only three minutes into the…
Read MoreCalifornia insurance regulators clash with insurers over coverage for small businesses
California insurance regulators are pushing for new legislation that would institute limitations on a controversial form of health insurance that is targeting small businesses. This coverage is a type of self-insurance that is designed for businesses with 25 or fewer employees. Regulators claim that these policies are being used by health insurers to find companies with the healthiest workers, lowering their risk of costly payouts. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is concerned that these policies undermine one of the key principles of the Affordable Care Act: Lowering premiums by allowing insurers…
Read MoreHow to find individual health insurance by yourself
When your health insurance is sponsored by your employer, it is easy enough to know which policy to choose because it has typically been selected for you, but when you are unemployed, self-employed, or employed by a company that doesn’t offer this medical benefits, then it is up to you to find your own coverage. Use the following tips to help you locate the right policy and price to fit your needs: • Healthcare.gov – this federal government site provides a number of questions that you can answer in order…
Read MoreGender gap continues to play an important role in health insurance premiums
According to the latest research issued in a report by the research and advocacy group, the National Women’s Law Center, women continue to pay higher premiums than men for the same health coverage. In 2014, when the new healthcare laws are fully implemented, the discrepancy between what men and women will pay for health insurance will cease, but at the moment, many states continue to see significant gaps between the premiums of men and women without any indication that the insurers intend to shrink them. The report will become available…
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