Affordable Care Act may raise health insurance costs throughout the US With the U.S. presidential elections little over a week away, more attention is being drawn to the potential impact of the Affordable Care Act, the health care law that was championed by President Obama. The law has generated a significant amount of controversy and has divided the U.S political landscape since its passage in 2010. Now, new reports concerning the impact of the law are emerging, suggesting that health insurance costs may become significantly higher in some states. Nevada…
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Premiums decrease and enrollment increases for Medicare Advantage
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the part of the Medicare program that provides recipients with the ability to select their own private insurance have seen a drop in their premiums by an average of 7 percent, and there has been an increase in enrollment by 10 percent. According to Kathleen Sebelius, a Health and Human Services secretary, this has been an ongoing trend for Medicare Advantage system, which helps to work against the negative forecasts that have been made by those in opposition to the health…
Read MoreGym membership coverage: A potential double-edged sword for the insurance market
Some private insurers participating in the Medicare Advantage program have begun offering gym memberships as a way to encourage older consumers to stay healthy and active. While many consider this to be good news, others say that the practice is a double-edged sword. Inclusion of gym memberships may signal that insurers are attempting to procure the healthiest individuals while leaving the high-risk policies in the hands of the Medicare program. This practice may have an impact on how health insurance exchanges. These state-run insurance programs will provide limitless coverage to…
Read MoreLearning more about healthcare and open enrollment for Medicare
The Medicare open enrollment period is already well underway, as is the healthcare enrollment for people who receive health insurance from their employers and individuals who haven’t yet gone over their current coverage package for 2012 are being advised to hurry up and get started. For those individuals who haven’t yet missed their window of opportunity for changes in employer-sponsored insurance, the sooner they have a look at their current health insurance and compare it to what is available, the better, because any changes that are made by employers or…
Read MoreThe Medicare Information Solution: Part 2
This article is continued from Part 1. Retiree benefits are received by approximately one in every three Medicare beneficiaries, and are a form of supplemental coverage from the retirement health plan provided by their former employers. For these individuals, Medicare began quite simply. They would use both Parts A and B, and then would simply use the insurance from their former employers to cover the out-of-pocket costs such as prescription drugs. The majority of individuals who have this option available to them will take it. However, employers are offering this…
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