Live Insurance News

7 percent of Illinois residents are without health insurance

September 19, 2022September 19, 2022 Marc

New US census data shows that state uninsured rates climbed just slightly between 2020 and 2021. Last year in Illinois, 7 percent of residents were without health insurance coverage, according to recently released data from the US Census. This number represents about 875,000 people across the state who don’t have medical coverage. When compared to 2020, this represented a slight increase in the number of people who didn’t have health insurance. That year, the uninsured rate in the state was about 6.8 percent. That said, the margin of error this…

HHS to invest over $49 million into health care for kids and parents

August 2, 2022August 1, 2022 H. Cutner

The funds will be in the form of 36 awarded grants to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced through its Centers for Medicare & Medical Services (CMS) that it is awarding grants worth a total of $49 million to organizations working to reduce the rate of uninsured Americans and to bring health care access to more kids and parents alike. This represents the largest outreach and enrollment effort from the HHS through Connecting Kids to Coverage. The investment…

Oregon health insurance coverage reached record high last year

February 22, 2022February 17, 2022 H. Cutner

The results of a new survey have shown that more Oregonians have medical plans than ever before. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has announced that the results of its biannual Oregon Health Insurance survey revealed that more state residents than ever before had coverage in 2021. The survey data revealed that a whopping 95.4 percent of state residents had coverage last year. This was an increase over 2019’s data, at which point 94 percent of Oregon residents had health insurance coverage. This latest survey represented the first year since the…

Maryland health insurance open enrollment extended until February 28

January 25, 2022January 24, 2022 H. Cutner

The state has extended the opportunity for residents to enroll due to the public health emergency. Maryland has announced that it is extending its health insurance open enrollment period, making possible for residents of the state to continue signing up for their coverage at the state’s marketplace. Residents of the state will be able to keep enrolling for coverage through the Maryland Health Connection. The state’s health insurance marketplace will stay open for enrollment until the end of February. The original deadline had been January 15. Governor Larry Hogan announced…

Health insurance enrollment breaks all previous records

January 24, 2022January 21, 2022 Julie Campbell

Biden’s changes to the Affordable Care Act changes reversed many areas Trump had altered. Health insurance enrollment through the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) have reached a record high this year, in a trend widely associated with the changes President Joe Biden made to reverse alterations President Trump had made while he was in office. Among the additional changes Biden made include an increase to available financial assistance. Beyond increasing financial assistance for health insurance enrollments, other changes included widening the window in which consumers could sign up for coverage through…

Many consumers still can’t afford Virginia health insurance premiums

November 18, 2021November 17, 2021 Nordstrom

A new state Joint Commission on Heath Care report showed that silver plans remain costly. Though the American Rescue Plan has broadened subsidies and has brought plans within reach for more people through the Affordable Care Act, Virginia health insurance premiums remain high enough that many people still struggle to afford the costs. The state appears to be struggling to keep its health plan premiums under control. The state’s Joint Commission on Health Care determined that the average cost of silver Virginia health insurance plans – a mid tier level…

How Healthcare Reform May Impact Physicians

August 17, 2021 Guest Author

Healthcare reform is a touchy topic in America today. Phrases like “single-payer system” and “public option” are tossed around a lot these days, but the emphasis usually centers on the patient experience. However, as the past year has shown us, the functions of our healthcare system are heavily dependent on healthcare workers and physicians who are equally impacted by U.S. healthcare reform. Let’s explore the insurance versus cash-only debate to better understand available insurance alternatives and physician involvement in healthcare reform. Insurance vs. Cash-Only Healthcare demand is growing rapidly in…