Live Insurance News

Massive $21 Billion Medicare Boost Set to Transform Senior Healthcare in 2026

January 14, 2025January 13, 2025 Logan B.

Proposed 2026 Medicare Advantage Reimbursement Rates See Positive Growth The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a 2.2% increase in reimbursement rates for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in 2026, marking a sharp improvement from the 0.2% decline seen the previous year. When factoring in the 2.1% “risk score” adjustment to account for higher payments for individuals with severe health conditions, the total estimated increase in payments rises to 4.3%—equivalent to more than $21 billion. This proposal is poised to have a significant impact on insurers, healthcare beneficiaries,…

Dental insurance brings most US adults peace of mind

August 16, 2022August 12, 2022 G. Turner

Dental insurance - Woman smiling in dentist office

A Delta Dental study found that the coverage eased concerns of 89 percent of US adults. Dental insurance not only provides coverage for oral health care, but most people also find that it provides them with comfort in knowing that they have the added protection, according to a recently released 2022 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report. The report is a nationwide analysis of US consumer oral health opinions and behaviors. The research was commissioned by the Delta Dental insurance company. It focused on US adults and parents…

Toothbrush startup acquires dental insurance company for total tooth care

May 18, 2018May 17, 2018 Marc

Dental Insurance Company - Toothbrush and Dental Tools

Quip has announced its intentions to purchase Afora, taking the next step in its unique business model. Electric toothbrush startup, Quip, is acquiring Afora, a dental insurance company. Quip first started selling its toothbrushes online back in 2015. It has, since that time, built a substantial consumer network. The toothbrush company offers subscriptions for direct-to-consumer personal care products. As popular as its toothbrushes have become, Quip is lining up to become more than a toothbrush brand. Instead, it is expanding to be able to become a dental insurance company, too.…

Is the United States facing a dentist shortage?

April 14, 2012May 28, 2012 Marc

A dentist shortage has been identified in the United States – particularly in areas where there are higher levels of poverty – and it is now being predicted that this problem will only increase by 2014 when the Affordable Care Act goes into full force. Thousands of Americans are visiting emergency rooms every day to obtain treatments for dental problems that are considered to be entirely preventable. For example, in 2009, there were over 830,000 E.R. visits for just this type of problem, such as tooth abscesses that make it…

Survey shows Americans are avoiding the dentist due to the struggling economy

October 3, 2011October 3, 2011 Nordstrom

The Brighter.com “2011 Survey of Dental Care Affordability and Accessibility” conducted by Empirica research along with University of Southern California professor Dr. David Neal has shown that about half of all Americans do not have dental insurance, and that in 2010, the premiums for dental coverage rose by a much greater amount than those for medical insurance. This fact, in combination with the struggling economic times, is meaning that an increasing number of people are pushing dental care down on their priority lists because they feel they cannot afford it.…