Industry Updates
This broad category includes articles concerning health insurance costs, carrier and health plan news, changing benefits technology, and surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation and others on employee benefits.
About 342,000 Californians have signed up for health insurance through Covered California since open enrollment began in November — up roughly 7 percent compared to this time last year, according to figures released by the agency Monday.
Two years ago, Aaron LeBato of Katy, Texas, bought an 11-month, short-term health plan for himself, his wife and three children after getting dropped from an Affordable Care Act plan due to a payment system error.
With little hope of an immigration agreement this week, Republicans in Congress are looking to head off a government shutdown this weekend by pairing another stopgap spending measure with long-term funding for the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program, daring Democrats to vote no.
While the official deadline to enroll in health insurance plans for 2018 has passed, many Nevadans may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that enables them to get coverage outside the normal Open Enrollment window, which closed on December 15, 2017. The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange), Nevada’s state agency that helps people get affordable health coverage through the online marketplace, Nevada Health Link, is encouraging consumers to contact an enrollment professional to find out if their circumstances make them eligible to enroll at any time during the year.
Having wiped out the requirement for people to have health insurance, Republicans in Congress are taking aim at a new target: the mandate in the Affordable Care Act that employers offer coverage to employees.
Many business and employer trade associations—such as chambers of commerce or farm bureaus—have long offered health insurance to their members, which often include self-employed individuals, small businesses, and large businesses. These associations often claimed ERISA preemption from state insurance regulation, identifying themselves as employers or employee organizations under ERISA. A number of these associations defrauded their members and left millions in unpaid claims when they became insolvent.
Despite a projected $6.1 billion surplus, Governor Jerry Brown's proposed budget calls for only a modest increase in heath care spending.
Two years ago, Aaron LeBato of Katy, Texas, bought an 11-month, short-term health plan for himself, his wife and three children after getting dropped from an Affordable Care Act plan due to a payment system error.
The Trump administration proposed new rules on Thursday to make it easier for small businesses and individuals to buy a type of health plan long favored by conservatives that could bypass some of the insurance protections built into the Affordable Care Act.
Since the Affordable Care Act went into effect, employers in the small group health insurance market (generally, employers with 50 employees or less) have faced rising costs and limited coverage options. This is because, under the ACA, the small group and individual markets require plans to include essential health benefits and community rating.