Tag: individual health insurance

The answers to frequently asked questions about health insurance rate increases

Julie Campbell
health insurance options

Many consumers are facing increases to the insurance premiums that they pay for health coverage every month, and as a result of this, several questions are arising. In response, the industry is working to make information more readily available to help to answer these questions. Some of the more common question include the following: • Does the health care reform overhaul prevent health insurance companies from making their typical annual rate increases? The answer is “no”. However, the health care reforms do force insurance companies to take certain steps to…

Read More

What can you do to reduce your health insurance premiums

Nordstrom
homeowners Insurance Consumer Satisfaction

The continued struggle of the economy has forced the country to try to keep healthcare spending down, and has forced many Americans to put off medical care due to financial constraints, but there are some things that can be done to minimize the amount that they spend on health insurance without sacrificing their coverage altogether. Being an informed customer can be a very important step to making sure that you are getting the most coverage at the lowest possible price, and to ensure that you are protected for everything that…

Read More

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 More

Report highlights the sluggish growth of health care spending due to U.S. recession

S.Vagus

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 More

California is among the worst states in the country for residents without health coverage

The results of a new study are showing that in 2010, California was the state with the most residents – approximately 7 million – who do not have health insurance coverage. According to the California HealthCare Foundation’s data, around 1 million children and 6 million residents under the age of 65 did not have health insurance. Among the nonelderly population of the state, an average of 21 percent were not covered by health insurance over the three years from 2008 through to the end of 2010. On the national list,…

Read More

Research shows insured obese individuals pay much higher monthly premiums

A report by eHealth, Inc., eHealthInsurance’s parent company, has been released as a supplement to its previous “Cost and Benefits” report from November 2011, and examines the influence that a policyholder’s body mass index (BMI) and smoking habits have on the premiums that he or she pays for individual health insurance every month. According to the research: • Obese policyholders pay an average premium every month that is 22.6 percent higher ($240) than individuals whose BMI is considered to be “Normal” ($143). • The average monthly health insurance premium paid…

Read More