A new direction for healthcare...
Last night, a pro-consumer bill we strongly supported died in the Washington State Senate as lawmakers missed an opportunity to improve protections for families and small businesses struggling with rising premiums. The bill (SSB 5247) would have required the Insurance Commissioner to consider nonprofit health insurance companies’ surplus when deciding whether premiums are reasonable for individuals Continue Reading
Feb
15
A missed opportunity to protect consumers
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Posted by Blake Hutson in Rate Review
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Feb
15
Health reform law expands preventive care coverage for tens of millions in 2011
While some features of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) don’t go into effect until 2014, other provisions of the 2010 law are already well-established. That means that despite our ongoing battles to hold insurance companies accountable, we’re beginning to see evidence of many of the health law’s benefits. For example, in September we reported that the Continue Reading
Posted by Marcus Denton in Fixing Health Insurance
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Jan
30
Holding health insurance companies accountable
Keeping your health insurance costs down is one of our top priorities. Which is why we’ve been working both publicly and behind the scenes to make sure insurance companies adhere to the new national health care law that says they can’t spend more than 20 percent of your premium on their overhead, marketing or CEO Continue Reading
Posted by Marcus Denton in Affordability, Fixing Health Insurance, Rate Review
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Jan
30
HHS rules in favor of Texas consumers, insurance companies to rebate up to $160 million
In another major win for consumers, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has denied Texas’ request to delay implementing part of the health reform law. The rule at issue, known as the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rule, requires that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of their customers’ premium dollars on actual Continue Reading
Posted by Marcus Denton in Affordability, Fixing Health Insurance
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Jan
18
Affordable Care Act is increasing coverage, study confirms
In September, we reported on a Census survey showing that the Affordable Care Act expanded health care access to over 500 thousand young adults in 2010 alone. Although some were skeptical of the data, it strongly suggested the increased coverage was the result of a provision requiring that insurers allow young adults to stay covered by their Continue Reading
Posted by Marcus Denton in Fixing Health Insurance
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Jan
11
NC, WI applications complete; HHS to rule on rebates soon
Like Texas, Florida and several states before, insurance departments in North Carolina and Wisconsin have now finalized applications to delay an important new rule that could slow rising insurance premiums or even give you a rebate. On Wednesday, the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) opened up a formal public comment period for these state applications giving the Continue Reading
Posted by Marcus Denton in Fixing Health Insurance
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Jan
05
Health care consumers win again in Kansas, Oklahoma
Despite their requests to soften its implementation, health insurance companies in Kansas and Oklahoma will have to immediately comply with the Affordable Care Act’s rule that they spend at least 80% of their customers’ premiums on health care bills, not on overhead and profits. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that implementing Continue Reading
Posted by Marcus Denton in Fixing Health Insurance, Uncategorized
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Dec
21
CA Taking Major Strides Toward Quality, Affordable & Secure Health Insurance
Yesterday, the California Health Benefit Exchange Board (HBEx) held its final meeting of the year. 2011 was an eventful year for the Exchange, leaving California well positioned to create a competitive health insurance marketplace for millions of Californians by Jan 1, 2014. The new marketplace HBEx is working towards will have easy to understand information, Continue Reading
Posted by Steve Dixon in Uncategorized
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Dec
15
HHS ruling a big win for Florida health insurance consumers
In a major win for consumers, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has rejected Florida’s request to delay a new rule requiring health insurance companies to spend at least 80% of their customers’ premium dollars on actual medical bills. Reacting to the ruling, Consumers Union Advocate Blake Hutson said, “Today’s announcement means that Continue Reading
Posted by Marcus Denton in Uncategorized
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Dec
13
Florida rebate decision coming soon; Tampa Bay news breaks down the issue
We’ll soon know the fate of a new rule aimed at helping Floridians who buy health insurance on their own get better value for their money. Federal regulators are set to decide whether to grant the state a waiver from meeting a new requirement in the health reform law that says insurers must spend 80% Continue Reading
Posted by Marcus Denton in Rate Review
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