The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) recently honored Sam Smith as the recipient of the Harold R. Gordon Memorial Award at the 86th Annual Convention in Albuquerque, NM. This award is the health insurance industry’s most meaningful and significant honor.

Continued increases in prescription drug costs are "the number one driving factor” for increasing health insurance premiums, according to testimony from Wyoming Insurance Commissioner Tom Glause, who was appointed by Gov. Matt Mead (R), at a subcommittee hearing on small business health care costs held by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

With 91% of the population now covered by some form of health insurance, and the coverage rate higher in some states, the next big debate in health policy could be about the adequacy of coverage. That particularly means rising payments for deductibles and their impact on family budgets and access to care.

“Right now, I have a medicine sitting at Wal-Mart pharmacy that I can’t purchase till payday,” Jacqueline, a 55-year-old San Diegan told me during a telephone interview in mid-April. She asked that her last name not be used for this story. “I’ll go without, eight or nine days till payday. It’s for my high cholesterol.”

Gov. Jerry Brown approved a state budget during a busy Monday in the Capitol, where lawmakers made progress on a $2-billion proposal to shelter the homeless but put the brakes on new energy policies during an acrimonious hearing.

If you have private health insurance, the good news is you may be helping your employer keep its health care spending down. The bad news is it's coming out of your pocket.