Oklahoma lawmakers have determined that the state will not work to build its own health insurance exchange. The exchange is mandated by the Affordable Care Act. Federal officials claim that insurance exchanges would give consumers access to affordable coverage and help reduce the cost of insurance premiums. Oklahoma legislators are not keen to take this as fact, however, and will wait until the U.S. Supreme Court has reviewed the federal law before they continue to work to comply with the federal government’s mandates. Oklahoma is one of many states that…
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Adding supplemental dental insurance to Medicare coverage
eHealth, Inc. subsidiary, PlanPrescriber, has now published a report for beneficiaries of Medicare who are looking to purchase additional stand-alone insurance that covers dental. Part A and B of Medicare (also known as the Original program) does not include dental in its coverage. Therefore, if a beneficiary of Medicare experiences a medical emergency where their teeth need care, the original plan might or might not provide coverage for the emergency, depending on who has provided the care. Furthermore, basic Medicare coverage does not provide the type of dental coverage that…
Read MoreSurvey shows that health insurance is growing more expensive but also more restrictive
A new survey released yesterday by Towers Watson, a leading professional service and consulting firm, and the National Business Group on Health, a trade organization, claims that health insurance is getting more expensive, but is also covering much less than it used to. The survey, which targeted several large companies throughout the U.S., shows that employees are paying more for their coverage this year than they have in the past. They are also subject to more restrictions on their insurance and health care options, with many benefits being cut by…
Read MoreGrowing number of young adults in Minnesota have health insurance coverage
The Minnesota and Massachusetts health insurance coverage rates are currently drawing attention as they have achieved rates of 98 percent and officials try to determine whether or not they have reached their highest possible levels. A Minnesota survey published in an article called “Many Minnesotans Still Without Insurance” has indicated that the segment of people within the state who are currently uninsured has not entirely returned to the levels that had been reached by the end of 2009. The uninsured rate last year had kept stable at 9.1 percent, regardless…
Read More91% of Texans to be insured by 2014, thanks to the Affordable Care Act
The Texas Medicaid Director, Billy Millwee, spoke to the House Public Health and Insurance committees this week regarding the Affordable Care Act. The director has been tracking the trends and effects that the federal health care law has birthed in the state and has come to a promising conclusion. Currently, 74% of the state’s residents have some form of health insurance coverage. Millwee claims that when the Affordable Care Act is fully enacted in 2014, this will jump to 91%. By that time, only 2.3 million Texans will have no…
Read MoreOregon Legislature convenes to determine the course for the last days of the legislative session of February
February is quickly coming to an end, but the Oregon Legislature still has much to discuss. State lawmakers met in the city of Salem this week to map out their plans for what remains of this month’s legislative session. The topics that will receive their attention in these latter days are education initiatives, construction bonds, logging and use of water, and the state’s plans to build its own health insurance exchange. Notably, Governor John Kitzhaber’s plans to reform the state’s Medicaid program have been cut from the current session. Though…
Read MorePennsylvania to answer consumer questions regarding state’s health insurance exchange
As Pennsylvania continues its slow and steady march toward building a health insurance exchange, residents of the state are coming to the Department of Insurance with questions about how the exchange will affect them. The state’s Department of Insurance has been awarded a $1 million grant from the federal government to help keep consumers informed over the matter. With the money, the department has hired additional staff, whose purpose it is to answer the questions consumers have about the exchange and the Affordable Care Act. Pennsylvania has stood in opposition…
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