Live Insurance News

Health insurance premiums are a motivator to live healthier

May 11, 2013May 25, 2013 Julie Campbell

A recent study has shown that coverage costs can encourage people to exercise more and get fit. There was a great deal of controversy that arose when a health insurance company first started charging higher rates for individuals who were obese, but whether or not it is deemed appropriate or fair, a recent study has shown that it can give people the motivation they need to bring their weight down to healthier levels. When policyholders were given the choice to lose weight or pay more, they quickly started dieting. According…

Health insurance companies facing greater scrutiny in Massachusetts

May 10, 2013May 25, 2013 G. Turner

Mental illness coverage will be a considerable focus for the state’s law and its enforcement. Mental health insurance has become a very hot topic, as seven different insurers have now reached settlements to pay consumers and the state for their failure to meet the legal coverage requirements in Massachusetts. The most recent of these settlements has spawned a greater effort by the Attorney General to solve the issue. Martha Coakley, the Attorney General, has taken inspiration from the health insurance settlements over mental illness coverage, and has now issued a…

New health insurance proposals in Florida receive strong support

April 20, 2013April 18, 2013 Logan B.

Florida continues to wrangle with health insurance expansion A Florida Senate panel has approved two proposals designed to help expand the availability of health insurance for low-income citizens. There are only three week left in the state’s legislative session and still a significant amount of work needing to be done concerning the state’s compliance with the Affordable Care Act. As such, lawmakers have been working feverishly in order to draft measures that are expected to have a significant impact on the health insurance structure of the state. Health care law…

Health insurance inequities could be corrected by Supreme Court ruling

April 11, 2013April 9, 2013 G. Turner

Many are hoping that the decision will help to change the coverage system in for same sex married couples. Supporters of a decision by the Supreme Court to void the Defense of Marriage Act are saying that it could help to eliminate inequities that have been occurring in health insurance benefits, COBRA coverage, and taxation, among other areas. Though the coverage has been possible for same sex couples in some states, it still comes with a cost. For example, there are couples in Vermont who have been married since the…

Lawmakers flip on health insurance policy due to intense lobbying

April 10, 2013April 9, 2013 Logan B.

Lawmakers announce health insurance rate increase Federal lawmakers have announced that prices associated with the Medicaid Advantage program will rise as part of the country’s efforts to reform the health care sector. This is nearly the polar opposite of the federal government’s initial plans, which involved lowering the price of coverage associated with the Medicaid Advantage program, thereby making health insurance more affordable for those using the program. The decision comes in the wake of aggressive lobbying from the health insurance industry. Medicaid Advantage coverage to become more expensive The…