Tag : health-reform

Good news, starting September 23, health insurers and group health plans will be required to provide you with an easy-to-understand plan summary about a health plan’s benefits and coverage. This new regulation is designed to help you better understand and evaluate your health insurance choices; the forms will consist the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) and a Uniform Glossary.

Here’s what to expect:

• Easy reading: A short, plain language Summary of Benefits and Coverage, or SBC
• Definitions: A uniform glossary of terms commonly used in health insurance coverage, such as, “premium”, "deductible" and "copayment"
• Standardization: All insurance ...

Are all those health insurance and health reform claims on the campaign trail making your head spin? Here's a clip that can clear things up!

The clip is an investigation by PBS Newshour that takes a look into someone who lost insurance and how the Affordable Care Act affected them. The video also highlights the Republican plan to counteract the rise in healthcare spending that with alternate solutions, bringing a focus on how competition can lead to healthcare innovation, and reforming Medicare with the inclusion of vouchers for seniors.

Some Highlights

The Democrats resonate with the fact that the ...

The Republican National Convention has just concluded – and many proposals on the future of America’s healthcare were outlined. Here we take a look at several key points on Governor Romney’s plans for middle-class health insurance policies.

There’s been a lot of talk about the middle class, and according to a 2009 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 11 million uninsured Americans came from the middle class, about a quarter of the nation's total uninsured. Most middle-class Americans, approximately 3 out of 4, are insured through their employers, according to the report. For those without health insurance ...

Florida Blue has invested in this new approach, changing the staunch white office space and call center to modern retail style stores throughout the state.

Over the last five years, Florida Blue has invested millions of dollars building almost a dozen of these locations, going as far as having an outlet in the Coconut Point mall in Estero

Today’s a big day for women’s health, because as of August 1^st, all new major health insurance plans must cover women’s preventive health services at no upfront cost.

Have you ever foregone a visit to your doctor because of price? According to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius “…surveys showed that more than half the women in this country delayed or avoided preventive care because of its cost,” and with the implementation starting today, women should feel even more confident about their healthcare.

This means that along with the many overall preventive health services, in ...

What do you think about the law? If you’ve been hearing claims left and right about the law from both sides of the political spectrum, it’s time to get the facts straight.  Here’s the no-spin zone of health reform claims, according the Associated Press.

Here are some highlights:

Those under health insurance plans will keep their current plans.

President Obama says those with health insurance "will keep" their current plans. In fact, the law doesn't guarantee that; your boss can still change or eliminate your coverage.

Under the new law, 20 million Americans could lose their ...

View remarks from Obama, Romney, government officials and reporters from ABC News.

The fate of the Affordable Care Act has been decided, and this is a victory for Obama’s health care reform and a rallying cry for republicans.

The Supreme Court has upheld the majority of the Affordable Care Act, most notably the individual health insurance mandate – targeted as the key centerpiece to the entire debate.

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View live Coverage here:

“Supreme Court Lets Health Law Largely Stand” – New York Times

“Supreme Court Upholds Individual Mandate” – Kaiser Health News

“Supreme Court upholds key Obama Healthcare Centerpiece” – Reuters

Official Supreme Court ...

What will it be for health reform? The Supreme Court will release their historical decision very, very soon. To understand the weight of this decision, Leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee are asking the Supreme Court to allow live television coverage when it rules on the Affordable Care Act. The committee's chairman, Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, and its ranking Republican, Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, said the issues were as consequential as any in recent court history, and advocated for recordings in a letter to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Americans have a great and clear interest ...

The days come closer and closer - what will the Supreme Court decide this month? What will be the reprecussion of these decisions?

Check out this great interactive Supreme Court decision map from the New York Times. Depending on each answer and scenario you input - a different outcome will be achieved. 

Here is a description of the questions in the interactive map: 

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision this month on President Obama's 2010 health care law. The court is considering a series of questions to determine whether the law, or parts of it, will survive.

1 ...

The Waiting Game

Facing uncertainty in the health insurance market, many states have stalled preparations for establishing health insurance exchanges. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a total of seventeen states have placed implementations of the online market place on hold, while thirteen more states, including the District of Columbia, have already authorized creation. As for the other twenty remaining states, legislation is pending, especially as lawmakers are unsure of any steps to take without a decision by the Supreme Court.

The health insurance exchange, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, serves as a online ...