Health Insurance News and Research

RSS

Health law implementation continues to trigger friction across party lines, and among Democrats

After a weekend of high-profile action related to the health law, news outlets note that polls indicate the it remains a divisive issue -- a point that was evident with this week's House vote to delay the employer and individual mandates, as well as Democrats' reactions to it.

20 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 19, 2013

Today's headlines include coverage of President Barack Obama's Thursday speech pitching the positives of the health law.

19 Jul 2013

Michigan Senate leader says Medicaid expansion vote could come in August

Republican Randy Richardville says the debate will have to wait until a group of senators studying the issue submit their proposal.

19 Jul 2013

Small business owners anxious about health law, Chamber survey finds

Small business owners are increasingly concerned about the law's impact, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while Karen Ignagni of the nation's biggest trade group of insurers says the nation's focus must move to reducing the cost of health care.

19 Jul 2013

State highlights: D.C. health care providers continue wait for payments; Ga. plans Medicaid managed care for kids; Hospital chain seeks insurer license in Calif.

A selection of health policy stories from Virginia, the District of Columbia, California, Wisconsin, Georgia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington.

19 Jul 2013

Testing requirements could delay launch of state health exchanges

Government officials said Wednesday during a Capitol Hill hearing that the Oct. 1 deadline may not allow enough time to test the systems that are being put in place to run these online insurance marketplaces.

19 Jul 2013

Coverage campaign: The White House effort 'to sell' the health law

The Washington Post details how the White House plans to sell the health law and to persuade young people to buy health insurance. Meanwhile, The Hill reports on how a public relations contract related to Obamacare is being boosted by $33 million.

19 Jul 2013

Study examines relationship between religious practices and obesity among Indian immigrants

Asian Indians are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, and roughly half a million people of Indian ancestry live in California - more than any other state. Individuals from this group are strongly predisposed to obesity-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, due in large part to physical inactivity, diets low in fruit and vegetables, and insulin resistance.

19 Jul 2013

Obama's Thursday speech to tout health law benefits

The president's chief spokesman said the speech will focus on how the overhaul is helping keep health-insurance rates low and resulting in rebates to some Americans.

19 Jul 2013

House votes to delay health law's mandates

Despite White House veto threats, House lawmakers on Wednesday OK'd two separate bills amending portions of the Affordable Care Act, the latest GOP moves to try to scuttle the health law. A measure putting off the employer mandate was approved 264-161 while a bill delaying the individual mandate passed 251-174.

19 Jul 2013

Health law supporters hail N.Y. announcement that insurance rates will drop

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that premiums for health policies purchased by individuals in the state's new online marketplace will fall on average 50 percent in 2014.

19 Jul 2013

Highmark Health Services creates Accountable Care Alliance to improve health care in Western Pennsylvania

Highmark Health Services is helping to improve health care through the formation of the Accountable Care Alliance, designed to not only improve care, but to also make it more affordable for patients in Western Pennsylvania.

19 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 18, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the House vote to delay the health law's mandates as well as advance coverage of President Barack Obama's Thursday speech in which he touts the overhaul's benefits.

18 Jul 2013

States, feds continue to scramble on health exchanges, Medicaid expansion

The Obama administration hires a credit reporting agency to verify the incomes of people who apply for federal subsidies to buy health insurance. Meanwhile, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon signs a bill that could make it more difficult to do enrollment outreach there, as federal officials consider ways to implement the law in states led by officials opposed to it.

18 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: Running out of money in old age; GOP favors the Pentagon over Americans' health care; Texas Senator's support on abortion stand doesn't reflect American attitudes

Nearly half of all Americans will outlive their assets, dying with practically no money at all. Even more worrisome, that's true even among households that met the traditional standards for secure retirement income. ... The results can be measured in more than merely dollars and cents. [MIT Economist James] Poterba's paper found that this group is "disproportionately in poor health," in part because they have no resources to cover medical expenses outside Medicare. Most shocking, many of these households were considered to have entered retirement in good financial shape; they didn't count on outliving their plans (Michael Hiltzik, 7/16).

18 Jul 2013

Mandate matters: Examining the relationship between the health law's employer and individual mandates

The Associated Press reports that delaying the enforcement of the employer mandate may undermine the individual mandate, too, while the National Journal reports on a study weighing which of these provisions has the most weight.

18 Jul 2013

Study finds health law likely to push up premium prices in Mass.; New York health plan costs set to fall

The Massachusetts analysis, funded by the insurance industry, predicts the law will add an average of 3.7 percent to premiums, while in New York, state officials will likely announce Wednesday the expected premium tumble.

18 Jul 2013

House slated to take another run at scrapping the health law

Republican leaders in the House have scheduled votes Wednesday on bills that would delay implementation of the overhaul's employer and individual mandates. According to the Associated Press, these efforts mark the 38th time the GOP majority has tried to undo the law or major provisions.

18 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 17, 2013

Today's headlines include a report about how the delay of the health law's employer mandate might undermine enforcement of the measure's individual mandate as well as news that the House will consider a bill that would put off both of these provisions.

17 Jul 2013

State highlights: Minn. health plans stockpile nearly $2B in cash; Calif. law to offer health care to immigrants in U.S. illegally

After four straight years of profitable growth, Minnesota's health plans have stockpiled a substantial surplus of cash reserves. The health insurance companies, which get nearly three-quarters of their business from state and federal programs, now have more than $1.9 billion in reserves -- $1.3 billion more than required by state law, according to a review by Twin Cities health care analyst Allan Baumgarten (Crosby, 7/15).

17 Jul 2013

Health Insurance News and Research

Health law implementation continues to trigger friction across party lines, and among Democrats

First Edition: July 19, 2013

Michigan Senate leader says Medicaid expansion vote could come in August

Small business owners anxious about health law, Chamber survey finds

State highlights: D.C. health care providers continue wait for payments; Ga. plans Medicaid managed care for kids; Hospital chain seeks insurer license in Calif.

Testing requirements could delay launch of state health exchanges

Coverage campaign: The White House effort 'to sell' the health law

Study examines relationship between religious practices and obesity among Indian immigrants

Obama's Thursday speech to tout health law benefits

House votes to delay health law's mandates

Health law supporters hail N.Y. announcement that insurance rates will drop

Highmark Health Services creates Accountable Care Alliance to improve health care in Western Pennsylvania

First Edition: July 18, 2013

States, feds continue to scramble on health exchanges, Medicaid expansion

Viewpoints: Running out of money in old age; GOP favors the Pentagon over Americans' health care; Texas Senator's support on abortion stand doesn't reflect American attitudes

Mandate matters: Examining the relationship between the health law's employer and individual mandates

Study finds health law likely to push up premium prices in Mass.; New York health plan costs set to fall

House slated to take another run at scrapping the health law

First Edition: July 17, 2013

State highlights: Minn. health plans stockpile nearly $2B in cash; Calif. law to offer health care to immigrants in U.S. illegally

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News