With the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act coming to an end next year, short term health insurance plans are being marketed as Obamacare alternatives, and one particular marketing effort recently reported by Rhode Island Public Radio shows that these plans could potentially be presented in misleading ways. In July, the Rhode Island… Continue Reading ›
The Trump administration announced in mid-July that it would reduce funding for Healthcare.gov navigators this fall and encourage them to guide enrollees toward short term healthcare policies. Navigators were implemented as part of the ACA to help consumers purchase products in the public exchange. Nonprofit organizations received federal grants to hire people that helped guide… Continue Reading ›
On Wednesday, August 1st, HHS (The Department of Health & Human Services) announced that it is changing the three-month duration limitation imposed on short term health insurance by President Obama, to allow people to have these plans for 364 days (essentially an year-long plan) and to allow for two renewals, for a total of 3… Continue Reading ›
On March 6, the comment period ended for a proposed rule to revise the way association health plans (AHPs) are regulated by the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor. The proposed changes include allowing AHPs to offer plans across state lines, to loosen the criteria for what constitutes an association, and to… Continue Reading ›
In May 2018, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its report on federal subsidies for health insurance coverage for people under the age of 65. The report included predictions related to subsidies provided by the government that help offset the cost of health insurance coverage. Projected Health Insurance Coverage According to the numbers compiled by… Continue Reading ›
With reports that insurance premiums for policies purchased in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces will rise as much as 30 percent in 2019, states are looking at innovative ways to help residents keep health insurance costs low while keeping their coverage. States like Iowa and Tennessee have discovered loopholes in the ACA that may allow… Continue Reading ›
A White House proposal aimed to offer alternatives to Obamacare has prompted a group of insurance leaders to issue a warning about potential consequences. The proposed rule, which would allow individuals to obtain limited, short-term health insurance policies for up to 12 months, is the latest effort by the Trump administration to undermine the Affordable… Continue Reading ›
Have you ever woken up at night with ear pain so bad it makes you sick? Your first thought might have been the emergency room, and while it’s never a bad idea to check into an ER when you’re in serious pain without explanation, there’s a less costly and just as effective option for non-life-threatening… Continue Reading ›
As the 2018 United States midterm elections approach, polling company Gallup released new results suggesting that healthcare tops the issues of concern to voters. Although the poll, released on March 26, was taken over seven months before the elections and much may change in the interim, it is part of a long-term trend. Per Gallup,… Continue Reading ›
Starting next year, health insurance companies will have greater leeway when it comes to increasing premiums for their plans. In a final rule issued in April 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made changes to the regulations that govern rate hikes. Beginning in 2019, insurance companies will have to submit new rates for… Continue Reading ›
Can you afford to get sick? View Infographic ›
Open Enrollment 2018 Who, What, Where, When & Why? View Infographic ›
How does cost sharing work? View Infographic ›