Posted by: Erin Kelly on Jul 28, 2010
Most of us know what a surplus is: When you have more of something than you need. And you’re probably wondering what that has to do with health care? According to a new report by the Consumer Union, seven out of 10 of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s nonprofit plans that were studied in a sample have been stockpiling a surplus of cash, all the while continuing to significantly increase premiums for many consumers in the private market.
Posted by: Kate Blocher on Jul 15, 2010
At the end of June, the Administration issued a series of regulations under the Affordable Care Act to implement a new Patients’ Bill of Rights. The goal of these new regulations is to form stronger consumer protections in the private insurance market and to finally put American consumers back in charge of their health coverage. One of the most egregious insurance practices that will be prohibited is the unfair rescission of insurance coverage after a person has been paying premiums. Rescission is the insurer practice of retroactively canceling a customer’s coverage when they are sick or in need of care, claiming that the customer intentionally omitted information on their application for coverage
Posted by: Kate Blocher on Jun 16, 2010
Last week, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation released a report by the Urban Institute analyzing the impact of the Massachusetts’s health reform law over the past year. By all accounts, access, quality, and affordability have improved for all Bay Staters both since the inception of the bill in April 2006 and over the past year.
Posted by: Colleen Haller on May 28, 2010
Over the last few months, the newly enacted health reform law has dominated most discussions about the health care system. Given the historic nature of the new law, it’s easy to see why. However, there are other important areas of the health care system that also need attention, such as COBRA.
Posted by: Kate Blocher on May 27, 2010
Many are aware that young people stand to gain from the new health reform law, but what they may not know is just how many young adults will benefit.
Posted by: Mark Fisher on May 25, 2010
Remember in elementary school when fractions were the bane of any student’s existence? Numerators and denominators were “bad words” and their relationship kept many school kids up past their bedtimes. Although many of the people who are working on implementing health reform are far past their elementary school math days, a certain numerator is causing them the same headaches.
Posted by: Kate Blocher on May 21, 2010
The White House Blog recently posted a response to an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal, which claims the new health reform law will limit consumers’ choices and prevent them from keeping their current health care plans. As the author of the blog, Stephanie Cutter, points out, “this ignores the realities of health reform.” We couldn’t agree more.
Posted by: Erin Kelly on May 12, 2010
Before health reform, insurance companies generally could deny Americans in the individual market coverage if they had a history of health problems. Heart disease? Denied. Breast cancer? Denied. Diabetes? Denied. For decades, many insurance companies have been allowed to treat those with pre-existing conditions unfairly. But because Congress and the American people became so fed up with this blatant discrimination, we’ll finally see an end to these shameful practices.
Posted by: Mark Fisher on May 07, 2010
Recently, many health insurance providers said they will stop the practice of dropping coverage when a customer becomes sick. The practice of rescissions has been outlawed in health reform, but some are choosing to comply before the September 23rd deadline.
Posted by: Colleen Haller on Apr 19, 2010
In the last few months, we have seen insurance companies from across the country announce drastic increases in their premium rates. A February report from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius revealed that rate increases ranged from 24 percent in Connecticut and 39 percent in California to 56 percent in Michigan. These insurance companies seem to have no problem jacking up rates, regardless of whether they are really necessary or how these increases will affect those who depend on their insurance.
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Category: Affordability,Health Care Costs,Insurance Industry