California residents with no health insurance risk tax penalties

No Health Insurance - Person holding money

Uninsured people living in the state may have to shell out for failing to enroll in a health plan. California residents are being advised that a new state law says that if they have no health insurance, they may face a significant tax penalty. This regulation would apply to next year’s health plans and those in following years. That said, it’s important to note that not all people with no health insurance will be required to pay. There are certain exceptions that will allow some residents to be able to…

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Commercial health insurance enrollment dropping in Florida, claims annual report

The Florida Health Care Insurance Advisory Board has released its annual report on the rate of enrollment in the myriad of health insurance plans found throughout the state. The report shows that enrollment has fallen by 4.3% in 2010. This marks the fifth consecutive year that enrollment rates have fallen in the state, which means that more people are living without some kind of health insurance. The report makes note of the lingering economic turmoil that is left over from the 2008 recession and how that might be contributing to…

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Report shows that nearly 1 million Washington residents do not have any health insurance

Washington’s Insurance Commissioner, Mike Kreidler, has released a new report showing the large gap between state residents who have health insurance and those that do not. According to the report, the number of people without health insurance will reach 1 million by the end of this year. Between the periods of 2008 and 2010, the number of those without insurance coverage rose by 180,000. Commissioner Kreidler attributes the problem to a stagnating economy and an aging population. The report notes that hospitals and health care professionals throughout the state are…

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Report shows that 9 million adults lost their health insurance coverage in the wake of the Great Recession

A new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that the recession of 2007-2009 had a major impact on the number of adults who had health insurance in the U.S. The report notes that the recession was the most severe and disruptive financial crisis faced by the U.S. in recent history. The economic impact of the crisis was widely felt and its affects linger today. In the health insurance industry, the recession claimed more than 9 million health care policies, leaving former policyholders without insurance coverage for the…

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As people lose their health insurance, the number of emergency room visits skyrocket

New figures about hospital use have shown that there has been a sharp increase in the number of visits to emergency rooms, and that – according to physicians – the rising numbers are the result of an intensifying demand for improvements and services that would permit emergency departments to provide patients with faster treatment. Early estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that in 2009, the number of emergency room visits increased by nearly 10 percent, which was the most significant rise in visits since…

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