Many women are already singing the praises of the changes in the coverage regulations for women under the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act. Since the Act went into effect, the following additional coverages for preventive services have been added for women, without deductible, co-insurance, or co-payments: • All forms of patient, sterilization procedures, and contraceptive methods that have Food and Drug Administration approval. • An annual “well-woman” preventive care visit for women. • HPV virus screening every three years for women over the age of 30. • A gestational diabetes…
Read MoreTag: Obama administration
States that do not meet federal deadlines may still have a chance to run health insurance exchanges
The federal government has been relenting on its once strict mandates regarding health insurance exchanges, namely on the deadlines given for states to establish such programs. Originally, states that rejected the notion of exchanges outright would relinquish this responsibility to the federal government, who would then run the exchanges. In this scenario, state officials would have no say in the practices of the exchange programs. Spurred by complaints over the lack of guidance from the government, however, the Obama administration is relenting on these strict mandates and giving states another…
Read MoreGovernment doles out millions to help states build health insurance Internet-based marketplaces
The nation continues is slow, arduous trek toward the inevitable establishment of health insurance exchanges. Until very recently, the federal government has been very lax in terms of enforcing the mandate established by the Affordable Care Act that requires each state to erect their own insurance exchange program. Officials with the Department of Health and Human Services had originally wanted to allow time for states to warm to the notion of the exchanges, but have only been met with lukewarm interest. In fact, the rate at which states are building…
Read MoreDepartment of Health and Human Services approves full coverage of birth control
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a statement that included new guidelines regarding the required full coverage of a number of women’s preventative services – such as voluntary sterilization and birth control – by health insurance companies from August 1, 2012 onward. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from the HHS explained that the department’s decision was made as a part of the strategy from the Affordable Care Act to halt problems before they occur. In a press release, she said that the new coverage guidelines “are based…
Read MoreStates to receive clarification about health insurance exchanges from government
States still debating whether or not they wish to establish health insurance exchanges will be receiving additional information on the subject from the Obama administration, which will provide explanations in greater detail regarding the way that these complex marketplaces will function. As of yet, the U.S. federal government has provided limited information regarding this significant element of the healthcare overhaul which went into place in 2010, though it had indicated that it would have already done so by spring of 2011. Without any additional details until now, many states have…
Read MoreHealth Care Reform Update: New waiver proposal for industries and citizens
The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed several new waiver rules that will give states more control of their own health care systems and regulations. Backed by the Obama administration, the waivers will provide states with more flexibility. If the proposal is successful, states will have more freedom in creating their own systems that will support federally mandates health insurance exchanges. Additional legislation is being proposed to make the waivers available by 2014 instead of 2017. States may apply for “Innovation Waivers” that will allow them to come…
Read MoreInsurance companies ask for more time
Insurance companies are asking President Obama and his administration to slow down with their up and coming decision on if the industry, along with non-banking financial companies, warrant further scrutiny. The administration is eyeballing the market as being deemed as a potential risk to the financial standing of the country, along with banks, and should be put to higher standards in hopes to avoid the same financial meltdown of 2008. According to the insurance industry, they would like the Treasury Department to hold the finalization of these rules and wait for…
Read More