California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a number of health care legislations this month. Many of the laws were designed to bring affordable health insurance to those in greatest need. The new legislations are expected to make some major changes to the state’s health insurance industry as they introduce stiffer regulations concerning rates and practices. Small businesses in the state will be afforded a number of benefits from the laws in the hopes of ensuring employees are able to keep their insurance benefits. Of note, Senate Bill 51 will…
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Another health insurance rate hike expected by next year
Mercer has released the results of its annual survey which have indicated that there will be an increase of 5.4 percent to employee health care benefit costs in 2012. Though the forecasted increase in health insurance rates will be the smallest one that has occurred in the last 15 years, it should still be noted that this increase is remarkably higher than salary growth and the inflation rate, the latter of which was at 3.9 percent. The employers who participated in the Mercer survey stated that they have been attempting…
Read MoreU.S. Justice Department joins appeals Supreme Court to hear case concerning federal insurance mandate
The U.S. Justice Department has joined the call from 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Business for the Supreme Court to take up the issue of the federal insurance mandate that will be enacted in 2014. The mandate is part of the Affordable Care Act health care law brings major changes to the nation’s health care system. Now that the Justice Department has involved itself, the Supreme Court is likely to hear the case and reach a conclusion on the matter by the middle of 2012. The health…
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 MoreStudy shows employer-sponsored health insurance is becoming more costly, maybe due to federal insurance mandate
A new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit health care organization, has uncovered a startling trend concerning the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance. The study shows that the cost of health insurance for employers has been rising at a rapid pace this year, which runs contrary to reports citing moderate increases to insurance rates. Exactly why rates are currently soaring to new heights is unknown, but researchers from the foundation speculate that it may be due to the federal insurance mandate which requires all people to have health…
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