Live Insurance News

Grad students in Missouri are losing their health insurance subsidies

August 20, 2015August 19, 2015 Marc

Grad students are suffering under some provisions of the Affordable Care Act Grad students from the University of Missouri have lost the health insurance subsidies that they received through the Affordable Care Act. According to the university, grad students are considered by the Internal Revenue Service, which manages federal subsidies for insurance coverage, to be “employees.” As such, many of them are not eligible to receive subsidies from the government. Grad students that have lost access to subsidies may not be able to afford the insurance coverage that they currently…

Missouri falls behind in mitigate increase in health insurance rates

August 7, 2015August 6, 2015 Marc

State has been unable to halt the growth of health insurance premiums Missouri may be falling behind in protecting its residents from significant health insurance rate increases. In 2016, insurance policies are set to become more expensive nationwide due proposals from insurers. Typically, state regulators investigate rate increase proposals in order to determine whether or not they are needed. In Missouri, however, regulators are not tasked to investigate rate proposals. Instead, this burden falls to the federal government, which may be leaving consumers open to significant rate increases that could…

Health insurance provider hit with major fine in Missouri

May 22, 2015May 20, 2015 S.Vagus

Aetna faces $4.5 million fine for violating insurance laws in Missouri Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has announced that health insurance provider Aetna will be paying $4.5 million in fees for violating state law. One of these violations has to do with Aetna covering elective abortions even though some policies did not allow for such coverage. This represents the single largest insurance penalty imposed against a company in Missouri’s history. Notably, the health insurance company is holding itself accountable for any violations of state law, also acknowledging that it had violated…

Insurance news not transparent enough with Missouri prices

August 20, 2014August 18, 2014 H. Cutner

The state, which participates in the federal health plan exchange will include at least three insurers. This fall, the latest insurance news is showing that when residents of Missouri head to the HealthCare.gov website, they will likely be able to compare and shop for health plans that are being offered by a minimum of three insurers. The largest insurance company in the country has now stated that it expects to take part in the federal marketplace. UnitedHealthcare has said that it intends to make insurance news, this fall, by adding…

Health insurance settlement reached by Anthem in Missouri

August 7, 2014August 4, 2014 G. Turner

The insurer was accused of having failed to notify its customers that the same coverage was being offered for less. A health insurance company in Missouri has now reached a settlement in which it has agreed to send a total refund of almost $8 million to customers in the St. Louis area in order to compensate them for failing to inform them about identical plans that were being sold at a lower rate. The agreement was reached between Anthem BlueCross BlueShield and officials of the state of Missouri. The actual…

Health insurance costs in Missouri and Kansas are cut down thanks to tax credits

June 20, 2014June 20, 2014 Nordstrom

Tax credits lead to more affordable coverage for those in Missouri and Kansas Tax credits offered by the U.S. federal government are having a major impact on the cost of health insurance in Missouri and Kansas. These tax credits come from the Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, and have helped make insurance coverage more accessible and less expensive. The credits are applied to policies that are sold through state-based insurance exchanges and are available to those that fall within a certain poverty level, as defined by the federal government.…

Missouri imposes new law on health insurance navigators

July 24, 2013July 22, 2013 Marc

Health insurance navigators to seek state licensure A new law has been passed in Missouri that placed a strict requirement for counselors seeking to participate in the state’s health insurance exchange. These counselors, often called health insurance navigators, are meant to provide consumers with guidance concerning the policies offered through the state’s exchange program. Navigators are considered to be a boon by the federal government as they could help consumers find the best policies that suit their needs, thereby making health insurance exchanges more effective in their purpose. Law aims…