Tag: Medicaid

Affordable Care Act sparks uncertainty over the future of health care

Note From The Editor
Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange Progressing

Uncertainty quickly becoming a staple of the Affordable Care Act The U.S. health care landscape is facing a great deal of uncertainty due to the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The federal law was passed in 2010, and later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, but the law’s most significant provisions have only taken effect over the past year, with more to come throughout 2014. The law aims to change the way health insurance coverage works and introduce new regulations designed to govern the health care industry, but these…

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Summary: Health reform and government shutdown

Note From The Editor
Health Care Reform

Government shutdown and its impact on health insurance and reform For the first time in 17 years, the U.S. federal government has been shut down. This comes as federal lawmakers failed to reach a compromise on the controversial Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare. Opponents of the Affordable Care Act have sought to pull funds from the law, prohibiting its implementation. Lawmakers have also sought to delay the enactment of the law for a whole year, hoping to see health care reform take effect in 2015 rather than 2014. Supporters…

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Insurance news made with a new confirmed Medicare and Medicaid chief

H. Cutner
Marilyn B. Tavenner

The acting chief has now been confirmed as the new confirmed head – the first in six and a half years. This week, the Senate has made insurance news with its approval of the nominee of President Obama for the chief of Medicare and Medicaid, Marilyn B. Tavenner, who has been acting chief until now. This is the first confirmed chief that has held this position in six and a half years. The vote in support of Tavenner in the Senate was 91 to 7, showing a widespread approval for…

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Health insurance being extended to those with addiction problems

Dan
health addiction insurance

New rule offers health insurance coverage to addicts In the ongoing effort to expand health insurance coverage in the U.S., a new rule has been introduced to the Affordable Care Act. The rule is designed make some 3 million people with drug and alcohol addiction problems eligible for health insurance coverage. While addiction has been considered a medical issue for the past 60 years, only a fraction of the money spent in health care in the U.S. goes toward providing medical care for those struggling with addiction. Coverage being expanded…

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Health insurance measure in Arkansas failed to pass

G. Turner
News on Medicaid health insurance

The state House did not move forward a proposal to use Medicaid funds to purchase private policies. A proposal in Arkansas faced the House but failed to pass as it proposed to use Medicaid money in order to purchase private health insurance to provide coverage to residents of the state within the lower income brackets. The legislation fell short of the votes that it would have required in order to obtain approval. According to an Arkansas House of Representatives spokesperson, Cecillea Pond-Mayo, there were 75 votes that would have been…

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