Institute of Medicine introduces new recommendations concerning insurance exchanges

Health insurance exchanges are, perhaps, the most accepted provision of last year’s Affordable Care Act. While some states have railed against the notion of the federally mandated program, most have been eager to explore their options. States have been slow to pass legislations making the exchanges possible, but have wasted no time in making preparations for the system. According to a new report from the Institute of Medicine, however, the future of insurance exchanges may be in jeopardy if federal legislators cannot solve the expensive flaws in the system. Exchanges…

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Institute of Medicine submits recommendations for national health care package

The Institute of Medicine, a non-profit independent organization comprised of medical and insurance professionals, has submitted recommendations to the federal government concerning a health care initiative that would make basic benefits available to all Americans. The organization was tasked by Congress to determine action regarding the initiative earlier this year. Researchers have been examining the potential impact the plan would have on the nation’s economy and how it would synergize with the overarching health care law. According to the Institute, such a plan is well worth the effort. According to…

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Department of Health and Human Services approves full coverage of birth control

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a statement that included new guidelines regarding the required full coverage of a number of women’s preventative services – such as voluntary sterilization and birth control – by health insurance companies from August 1, 2012 onward. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from the HHS explained that the department’s decision was made as a part of the strategy from the Affordable Care Act to halt problems before they occur. In a press release, she said that the new coverage guidelines “are based…

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