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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West Virginia continues to work toward a health insurance exchange backed by recommendations from state regulators
Despite the controversy and vague fate of the Affordable Care Act, West Virginia will be continuing to adhere to one of the provisions of the federal law. State lawmakers have determined that a health insurance exchange would serve the needs of the state well and, earlier in the year, tasked state regulators with researching the steps necessary to make the initiative a reality. Regulators have issued a series of updates to lawmakers, bringing them up to speed on what must be done and where money is needed most. A great…
Read MoreInstitute 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…
Read MoreGeorgian judges rule against federal health insurance mandate
A federal appeals court in Atlanta, Georgia, has ruled against the federal insurance mandate as laid out by the Affordable Care Act. The ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals is only the second in the nation where judges founding the mandate unconstitutional. This is a major victory for opponents of the health insurance mandate as the ruling will hasten the law to the Supreme Court where its ultimate fate will be decided. Georgia has opposed the concept of a federally imposed health insurance mandate since the law was…
Read MoreStates rally against health care reform, petition Supreme Court to solve the problem
Twenty-six states and several small business advocacy groups have officials petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the issue of the Affordable Care Act. The states are urging federal judges to strike down the entirety of the law, ruling every provision as unconstitutional. The Affordable Care Act, signed into law last year, was meant to bring sweeping changes to the nation’s health care system, but the law has, thus far, succeeded only in spawning a great deal of controversy and opposition. The health care law, once fully enacted in…
Read MoreObama’s healthcare reforms cause tricky debate among federal judges
A federal appellate judge panel with conservative inclinations has expressed apprehension regarding the Obama administration’s healthcare laws, but has also indicated that it may be premature to challenge the overhaul. The case before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington involves a lawsuit that is arguing whether or not Obama’s massive healthcare reforms have caused Congress to step outside its authority in giving people the choice starting in 2014 to either purchase health insurance or pay a tax penalty. Former top George W. Bush aide, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who received…
Read MoreState representatives gather to discuss the coming of insurance exchanges
This week saw the gathering of representatives from 46 states and the District of Columbia at a hotel in Virginia. Representatives met with officials from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to discuss the topic of health insurance exchanges. While many states have shown support for the concept of insurance exchanges, most have been slow to adopt the system. The problem may lie in the lack of guidance provided by the federal government for a system that is to be established…
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