As one of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the nation’s insurance companies will be required to spend at least 85% of the money they collect from premiums on improving the quality of medical care. However, the law does not designate any governing body as the regulatory of the mandate. This has led Senator Dianne Feinstein of California to propose new legislation that would give the Secretary of Health and Human Services regulatory authority over proposed rate increases of 10% or more. Feinstein asserts that insurance premiums are rising…
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The battle over health care reform dominance continues with a few good swings
The newly enacted Health Reform law is taking hits again. The House Republicans voted to repeal grant funding for a part of the health care law that would create insurance exchanges across the states. These marketplaces would let individuals and (small) businesses shop and compare policies and their prices. The Republicans voted to deny the funding for the insurance marketplace plan, which is a key element of the reform law. The Republicans feel that it gives too much power to the government to set coverage and plan details. The Republicans…
Read MoreAffordable Care Act: What will be the next move?
The federal government has been embroiled in a battle regarding last year’s health care reform. One of the key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and one that is most indignantly contested, calls for states to establish a health insurance exchange. Thus far, the federal government has provided states with funding to help them toward this goal. Republicans, many of whom oppose the health care overhaul, have been trying to bar the government from providing money to states for, what they say, is an unconstitutional measure. Late Wednesday, the U.S.…
Read MoreHealth care reform deadlines are forcing states to make a move
The Department of Health and Human Services recently established a deadline one of the key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The health care reform law mandates states to create health insurance exchanges by 2014, and the HHS says they must show they have made ample progress toward this goal by 2012. Should states fail to adhere to these deadlines; the federal government will take charge of the exchange and establish one itself. The looming deadline has left many states scrambling to get their programs off the ground, and has…
Read MoreOregon struggles with agreeing on health care reform mandates
Lawmakers in Oregon are getting ready to convene and approve the acceptance of a federal grant that would help the state establish their own health insurance exchange. The $48 million grant is being offered by the Department of Health and Human Services as part of its initiative to help states handle the cost of constructing exchanges. There are some in the state’s Senate that are leery of accepting government money for the program, as it is a part of the hotly contested health care reform. The Affordable Care Act mandates…
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