Tag: healthcare reform news

Health insurance law causes Indiana school districts to slash worker hours

H. Cutner
Indiana insurance industry

A growing number have cut back on part time employee hours before requirements are implemented. A number of school districts in Indiana have revealed that they are slashing back the hours of part time employees such as cafeteria workers and assistants because they state that they would not be able to afford to provide those individuals with health insurance. The federal healthcare reforms requires all workers over 30 hours per week to be covered by an employer’s plan. Many school districts across the state have chosen to bring the hours…

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Health insurance application forms considerably simplified by Obama Administration

G. Turner
Health Insurance Reform

The documents are much shorter and easier to complete, though income details are still needed. The Obama administration has just unveiled a new and updated health insurance application form in order to enroll for benefits that is considerably shorter and easier to complete than the original massive document that had been issued. The first version of the form received numerous complaints as it was as long and confusing as a tax form. The latest draft of the health insurance benefits application is only five pages long, which includes the cover…

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Florida health insurance news sees individual policy consumers receiving $113 million in insurer rebates

Florida health insurance

Florida health insurance refunds part of health care reform Residents of Florida who have individual health policies (not subsidized by employers) will be happy to hear the latest insurance news that will include a rebate estimated to be worth $143 to $949 (depending on the coverage and policy) starting in August, as a result of the federal healthcare reforms. The rebates will affect approximately 157,000 families and individuals. Furthermore, another $65 million in rebates is also being prepared to provide rebates to workers from among 352,000 small businesses. These insurance…

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HHS rejects Indiana request for medical loss ratio waiver

Nordstrom

Indiana has finally received a response from the federal government regarding the state’s request for a waiver from the Affordable Care Act’s medical loss ratio provision. The provision requires insurance companies to pay at least 80% of the money they collect from premiums on improving medical care. Indiana had sought an exemption from the rule, claiming that it served as a detriment to the state’s insurance companies. The Department of Health and Human Services, however, has rejected the state’s request for a waiver. The state may have failed to obtain…

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Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner asserts the importance of a state-run insurance exchange

Pennsylvania’s Department of Insurance is urging lawmakers to pass laws concerning the building of a health insurance exchange. The department has begun noting the benefits of such a program, claiming that it will help residents find affordable coverage and help bring more competition to the state’s insurance market. The advocacy from the department comes at the end of a lengthy study conducted by regulators and state legislators concerning the benefits of an exchange program. Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine, backed by Governor Tom Chorbett, made use of a $1 million government…

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President Obama`s healthcare law and the Supreme Court

Guest Author

The United States and the healthcare industry were shaken up with the federal statute entitled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Before it was passed, during the discussions and voting and even today, there is much debate on whether or not this statute is unconstitutional. While there have been numerous cases going through the appellate courts in different areas of the country, the findings are typically mixed. The Supreme Court has the ability to pick and choose the cases it takes on. In March of 2012, there are over…

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Healthcare work force receives $1 billion from Obama administration to boost its size

H. Cutner

The Obama administration has announced that it will be offering a grant program worth $1 billion to provide medical organizations with the opportunity to hire, train, and implementation of new workers. According to an announcement from the administration, the grant program has been named the Health Care Innovation Challenge and has been created in order to discover “the most compelling new ideas to deliver better health, improved care and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.” Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen…

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