Pennsylvania health insurance exchange launched for consumers in the state

Pennsylvania health insurance exchange - health - heart - hand

The state has opened its own Pennie.com marketplace for individuals who need to buy plans. The new Pennsylvania health insurance exchange launched this week, debuting the Pennie.com site where residents of the state can purchase individual plans. This gives state residents a lot more time to shop for the coverage they want for 2021. The new Pennsylvania health insurance exchange opened its doors on Tuesday. Residents of the state who start using Pennie.com right away will have an additional four weeks to compare plans and shop for the coverage they…

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Nearly all nonprofit health insurance co-ops are shutting down

Nonprofit health insurance co-ops - Stethoscope

Of the approximately two dozen that existed during the first few years of ACA, only 3 will soon remain. In the early days of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there were about two dozen nonprofit healthy insurance co-ops. However, now that New Mexico Health Connections announced it will be shutting down at the close of 2020, that number will fall to only 3. Among the three remaining, one is in Maine, one is in Wisconsin and one is in Idaho and Montana. That last of the nonprofit health insurance co-ops…

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Reproductive health care coverage is shrinking due to widespread job losses

Reproductive health care - pregnant woman

The pandemic crisis job losses are especially hard on younger women and women of color. The immediate economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is clearer to see than issues such as shrinking access to reproductive health care coverage. Young women and women of color are being hit hardest by job losses and therefore coverage loss. Health plans are linked to employment for approximately half of Americans. This means that any of those 160 million people who lose their jobs also risk losing their health plans and, therefore, their reproductive health…

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Kentucky health insurance marketplace prepares to restart

Kentucky health insurance marketplace - file - stethoscope

The state intends to restart Kynect, its own exchange allowing residents to enroll in plans. Governor Andy Beshear has announced the state’s intention to reopen Kynect, the Kentucky health insurance marketplace. The exchange makes it possible for residents who don’t have coverage through an employer to enroll in a plan or sign up for Medicaid if they are eligible. The exchange was originally dismantled in 2017 by former Governor Matt Bevin. Kentucky Voices for Health director of policy advocacy Cara Stewart explained that state residents who want to purchase coverage…

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Important Things to Consider When Choosing a Health Insurance Plan

healthcare insurance

Purchasing health insurance is one of the most important decisions that you can make for yourself and your family. As a small business owner, it’s important to choose the health insurance plans that will keep your team members healthy and able to work. While the process may seem complicated, it doesn’t have to be. There are certain things to look for when it comes to choosing health insurance to make sure that you won’t be looking for hospital supplies online as opposed to getting the care that you need from…

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New Covered California enrollment jumps 41 percent

Covered California enrollment - Heartbeat - Hands

State officials credit the new individual mandate to the rise in health insurance exchange use. The new Covered California enrollment figures have risen sharply since the state introduced its new individual mandate and offered residents additional subsidies on top of those already provided through the Affordable Care Act. The state implemented new rules for its residents for this year’s open enrollment period. There were 418,000 new people added to the Covered California enrollment during the 2020 open application period. That represents a tremendous increase of 41 percent over the new…

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California eases its health insurance individual mandate requirements

Health insurance individual mandate - woman receiving medication from pharmacist

State officials loosened the law out of concern that many residents aren’t aware of the fines. Out of concerns that too many California residents don’t understand the consequences of failing to comply with the health insurance individual mandate, the law has been eased. The worry was that many Californians aren’t aware of the fines they face for failing to buy coverage. The health insurance individual mandate is meant to help encourage Californians to purchase a plan. The idea is, in part, to create an incentive to purchase a health plan…

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