Tag: health insurance reform

Supreme Court may be unclear on how the health insurance mandate fits into the Affordable Care Act

S.Vagus
Health insurance care reform confusion debate

The fate of the health insurance Affordable Care Act is currently in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court heard arguments concerning the constitutionality of the law last month, during which Justices raised serious concerns about the law’s provisions. The health insurance mandate of the law hit a chord with some of the judges and has been a point of contention for most of this month. The concerns of Justices may be due to a fundamental misunderstanding of the provision. This misunderstanding could put the Affordable Care Act…

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Minnesota making significant progress on its health insurance exchange

S.Vagus

Minnesota health insurance moves ahead with exchange system. Minnesota is making significant progress on establishing its health insurance exchange system. The state has determined that it will continue building an exchange despite the uncertain future of the Affordable Care Act. The federal health care law requires each state to build its own exchange by 2014 or risk losing control of the exchange effort to the federal government. Though the state is committed to building an exchange, the burden of the process falls on the Minnesota Department of Commerce instead of…

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Former health insurance executive calls for health care reform

S.Vagus

The Affordable Care Act has made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, making the fate of federal health care reform unknown. The subject of reform has been on steeped in controversy for more than two years. Opponents of the reform claim that the law is unconstitutional, while its supporters say that changes are needed to ensure the continued stability of the country. Like politicians, the insurance industry has been divided on the issue. Unlike politicians, however, the industry is keenly tuned to what changes need to be made to…

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Cutting individual insurance mandate could have dire consequences for health care, says RAND

S.Vagus

A new study from the RAND Corporation, a non-profit institution that provides research and analysis for various political endeavors, suggests that axing the mandatory health insurance provision from the Affordable Care Act could be a costly mistake. The health care law has generated a large amount of controversy for its various provisions that introduce dramatic changes to the nation’s tax, insurance and medical services structure. None of these provisions have been quite as contentious as the health insurance mandate. The mandate, and the law as a whole, will be heading…

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Virginia legislators move to draft laws for a health insurance exchange despite Governor’s wishes

S.Vagus

Virginia may soon be heading down the path of establishing its own health insurance exchange, despite opposition from Governor Robert McDonnell. State legislators worry that time is growing short for the state to take action. If Virginia does not build its own exchange by 2014, the federal government will step in and build and govern one of their own. Legislation that would make an exchange possible is being championed by Delegate Terry Kilgore, chairman of the House of Commerce and Labor Committee. Kilgore believes that immediate action must be taken…

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North Dakota faces challenges in changing health insurance system

North Dakota legislators have been working to make changes to the state’s health insurance system to make it more in line with imminent federal regulations. A legislative committee has been tasked with the job of drafting such changes and will be presenting them during a special session of the Legislature scheduled for November 7. Lawmakers are eager to make changes to the system, but a potential snag takes the form of a $83 million price tag, which may put an end to the committee’s plans before any work can be…

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Bay Area Council Unveils Roadmap for Creating a High-Value Healthcare

Guest Author

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Bay Area Council today released its “Roadmap to a High-Value Health System ,” which outlines a series of concrete strategies for leveraging California’s power as an innovator to control rising healthcare costs for business and individuals. The Roadmap will serve as the foundation for the Council’s ongoing engagement with healthcare reform implementation, value-based healthcare purchasing by Bay Area businesses, and health system transformation. “Reigning in rapidly rising healthcare costs is critical for maintaining the competitive edge of Bay Area and California businesses in our global…

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