The National Governors Association has written a letter to the U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius regarding federally mandated health insurance exchanges. The exchanges have received mixed reviews from state officials, many of whom are still grappling with the vague guidelines provided to them by the Department of Health and Human Services. In the letters, Governors detail how the exchanges may damage a state’s autonomy, as the federal government may end up taking control of certain aspects of the exchange initiative. While the letter does not decry the establishment of exchanges,…
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Legal battle regarding federal insurance mandate to take place in Minnesota this week
The latest development in the ongoing saga of opposition against the federal Affordable Care Act is set to take place the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Minnesota this week. The provision in question is an insurance mandate imposed by the new law that states that all U.S. citizens must purchase some kinds of health insurance or face major penalties. Two Missouri residents have filed a lawsuit against the federal government concerning the matter. While the lawsuit itself comes only from two people, they are backed by…
Read MoreLeading health care analyst to speak on reform at Indiana State University
Indiana State University will be hosting a presentation concerning health care reform this month. The subject of reform is often bogged down by controversy, much of which is bred from speculation. In an effort to help students understand more about what the reform really means, Scott Harrington, a health care systems and insurance and risk management professor from the University of Pennsylvania, will be discussing the issue at hand. To understand how the new health system will work, it is important to have knowledge regarding to insurance industry, and Harrington’s…
Read MoreStates rally against health care reform, petition Supreme Court to solve the problem
Twenty-six states and several small business advocacy groups have officials petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the issue of the Affordable Care Act. The states are urging federal judges to strike down the entirety of the law, ruling every provision as unconstitutional. The Affordable Care Act, signed into law last year, was meant to bring sweeping changes to the nation’s health care system, but the law has, thus far, succeeded only in spawning a great deal of controversy and opposition. The health care law, once fully enacted in…
Read MoreNew York legislators reject federal funding for health insurance exchange
New York has long stood as a bastion for what the federal government stands for. The state boasts of one of the most populated and diverse cities in the world where the shortfalls and accolades of the government are highlighted in stark contrast. The state is also home to more than 2.6 million uninsured residents, most of whom cannot afford health insurance. Given the high number of those living in the state without insurance coverage, it would seem that lawmakers in New York would be welcoming to federal health care…
Read MorePart III – Official goals and challenges of U.S. health care reform – A hope for better care, delivery, and costs
We have journeyed through the aspirations of the up-in-coming reform of the U.S. health care system with cost cutting tactics, preventative procedures, incentivizing medical industry and now, in part three, we will review the last set of guidelines through measure and patients rights. Helping individuals to take control over their own medical needs Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC) – beneficiaries will be able to obtain information on the incidence of serious HACs as they occur at various hospitals. Hospitals will experience a decrease in payments if they have a high rate of HACs…
Read MoreGeorgia eyeballs health care reform ramifications before jumping in
A new panel has been formed in Georgia to determine whether or not the state will benefit from creating a health insurance exchange. The panel is comprised of a group of legislators, health care experts and representatives of advocacy groups, all appointed by Governor Nathan Deal. The group will be tasked with examining how an exchange will impact small businesses in the state and if the program will reduce insurance prices as it promises to. Governor Deal asserts that no decision regarding whether the state should established an exchange should…
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