Biden’s campaign website states that people covered under an employer-sponsored health plan would be able to choose the public option “if they could get a better deal.” But, for an employee, how would the public option compare with the typical workplace plan?
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More than three-and-a-half years into his presidency and 40 days from an election, President Donald Trump on Thursday launched what aides termed a “vision” for health care heavy on unfulfilled aspirations. But Democrats, who are betting heavily that they have the edge on health care this election season, are not impressed.
At a news conference, Trump outlined what he called his America First Health Care Plan. Instead of proposed legislation, Trump’s plan relies on a number of executive orders that he said would deliver “better care and more choice at a lower cost.”
Jamie Kalamarides, president of Prudential Group Insurance, says paid leave is the biggest opportunity to help workers as the economy slowly returns after the COVID-19 shutdown. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law in March, establishing an emergency paid leave program for workers who take COVID-19-related work absences.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the lives and finances of employees across the U.S., new findings show it…
Data released today from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that health insurance coverage rates declined in Illinois and throughout the nation in 2019, continuing a disturbing trend of eroding the gains of the Affordable Care Act, right before a global pandemic and economic recession hit. Illinois saw a decline in Medicaid coverage for over 121,000…
The national health care discussion is shifting from COVID-19 to the Affordable Care Act after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The opening leaves questions of how a newly-appointed high court judge would rule in a case that challenges the constitutionality of the health care law.
Pennsylvania on Tuesday debuted its state-based insurance marketplace, Pennie.com, which will give residents who buy individual health plans an extra four weeks to shop for coverage for 2021.. With Pennie’ s launch, Pennsylvania joins 14 states that run their own health insurance marketplaces, rather than relying on the federal marketplace healthcare.gov,…
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Sept. 21, 2020 – The annual open enrollment season is nearly underway, and U.S. employees will be…
–Sun Life U.S. has added three COVID-19 insurance products to its stop-loss offerings, including coverage for outbreaks, providing risk protection for self-funded employers if employees become infected. “The needs of our clients have evolved significantly over the past six months,” said Jen Collier, senior vice president of Stop-Loss& Health for Sun Life U.S. “…
According to the World Health Organization, more than 60% of health outcomes are the result of social determinants of health such as economic strain, food insecurity, housing instability, social isolation and poor health literacy. These social risk factors in people’s lives create significant impacts in their health outcomes, utilization patterns and costs.
The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance reported Tuesday that “silver” plans– those ranked in the middle category– will drop an average of 8.1 percent to 13.5 percent next year. The premium costs for a 40- year-old in Santa Fe will decrease by an average of $21.78 a month for a bronze policy, for a monthly rate of $296.94; $34.30 a month for a silver policy,…
Researchers estimate 1.9 million adults became newly uninsured from late April through mid-July. Conducted by researchers at the Urban Institute with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the study analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.
CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2020/ PRNewswire/– A series of national surveys of more than 13,000 people shows COVID-19’s newest emerging threat: unemployment leaving millions of Americans without health coverage. The consolidated survey, “The State of Health Insurance in COVID-19 America,” was conducted by Civis Analytics and released with support from Finn…
Andrew Cuomo, D- New York, issued the following news release on Sept. 16:. “New York has resources available to help those who need coverage during this difficult time, and anyone who doesn't currently have health insurance, regardless of the reason, should visit NY State of Health and enroll today.” Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, New York is establishing a special…
As employers look for new ways to contain health care costs, more are looking into reference-based pricing – the model that sets top prices for specific prescriptions, procedures and services. Because this model is still relatively new, your clients (and their employees) may have more questions and require more education than with other plans.
Sep. 16– Oklahoma's rate of residents with no health insurance remained the second-highest in the nation in 2019, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released Tuesday that show 553,000 people in the state had no coverage for any part of last year. George Monks, president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, said Tuesday, “Affordable, accessible…
Biden’s public option would be an option similar to Medicare that would reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other health care providers with better coordination between a patient’s doctors to improve quality of care, and would cover primary care without any copayments.
RADNOR, Pa. (BUSINESS WIRE), September 10, 2020 – Virtual graduation, Zoom weddings, sports without spectators — this year everything looks…
Voya Financial, Inc. announced new findings today from a consumer survey that shows the majority of working Americans will be…
Sep. 14– NASHVILLE– A top Chattanooga- based BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee official is questioning a private data firm's assertions the nonprofit insurer paid out $11 million in medical overcharges during a three-year period in its role as a third-party administrator of state employees' health plan. In his Sept. 3 letter to Tennessee Finance Commissioner…
Memorial Healthcare System is telling its patients with Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance to find another insurer if they want to remain in southern Broward County’ s largest hospital network. As of Sept. 1, patients with Florida Blue or any other Blue Cross Blue Shield plan are no longer eligible for in-network rates for services at Memorial’ s six hospitals.
About 1 in 3 people 65 and older in the U.S. enroll in Medicare Advantage, the private insurance alternative to traditional Medicare. But Medicare Advantage can be more expensive if you get sick because copays and other costs can be higher, says Katy Votava, president of Goodcare.com, a health care consultant for financial advisors and consumers.
U.S. HEALTHCARE& 2020 ELECTION: Overall, the majority– 60%– of respondents rated the U.S. healthcare system as “poor” or “fair,” compared to the 11% that rated it as “excellent.” When asked about the fix, 69% say the key to improving the U.S. healthcare system is giving more control to patients and doctors. COVID-19 HEALTHCARE CONCERNS: COVID-19 hasn’t improved voters’…
Rates for individual plans were held essentially flat, with an average increase of 0.01%, down from the average requested increase of 6.29%.
These are just a few of what used to be known as “declinable conditions” before the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010.. If you had one of them and had to buy health coverage on your own because you were self-employed, retired early or lost your job, insurers could simply reject your application for coverage. Overall, 27% of American adults under age 65 have what was…
–Aflac, a leader in supplemental insurance at U.S. worksites, today is launching its second marketing campaign featuring legendary football coach Nick Saban and the Aflac Duck during the NFL game between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs, airing at 8:20 p.m. EDT on NBC. The 2019 campaign set the stage for Coach Saban and the Aflac Duck to focus…
–With Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period for 2021 coverage fast approaching, eHealth, Inc. announced today that it has met its internal sales agent hiring goals and launched a new agent compensation model to support the company’s enrollment growth and customer retention efforts. “We’re looking forward to another record enrollment season in the fourth…
Sep. 9– Cheshire Medical Center in Keene is one of three New Hampshire hospitals suing the Vermont Agency of Human Services over the rates paid by the latter through its Medicaid system. Cheshire, along with Valley Regional in Claremont and Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, claims the state is discriminating against the hospitals on this side of the…
–Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today released the results of its latest Pension Funding Index, which analyzes the 100 largest U.S. corporate pension plans. In August, corporate pensions experienced the second-largest monthly funding increase in the past two decades, with a funded status improvement of $93 billion.
–Decent, a startup disrupting the health insurance industry by creating affordable health plans for small businesses and self-employed professionals, announced today that it has received $10 million in new Series A funding led by QED Investors. With its partner, the Texas Freelance Association, Decent initially created health plans for self-employed…
The Racine City Council approved sweeping changes to city employees' and retirees' health care benefits last fall which led to 352 retirees filing claims with the city over those changes, stating they had a contractual right to the same benefits they received when they retired. The Racine City Council voted in July to disallow those claims.
Eisenberg said if the contract is terminated, he will look to Novato Community Hospital to provide the lab tests and imaging for patients who are insured by Anthem. However, he said he would have to send Anthem patients out of the county for radiation therapy, because there are no alternatives in Marin. If the contract is terminated, Marin patients might also be…
Historically, buyouts have not been offered policyholders facing a rate increase, said Jan Graeber, senior actuary with the American Council of Life Insurers. LTCi rate increases have been a sore spot for longtime policyholders, while carriers say there is little they can do to avoid them.
COLUMBUS, OH – Nearly 8 in 10 middle market business owners are concerned about making it through the economic downturn,…
Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), announced today its latest expansion of workplace solutions and services that it will offer to…
Washington, D.C. – September 3, 2020 – A new study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) explores the implications…
However, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the only insurance carrier to offer Obamacare coverage statewide, intends to raise its rates by nearly 10%. As of 2021, more than one Obamacare provider will be available in 81 of Tennessee's 95 counties, according to an announcement from the Department of Commerce and Insurance. “Increased competition and lower…
The U.S. single premium buy-out sales totaled $2.3 billion in the second quarter, down 46% from second quarter 2019, according to the Secure Retirement Institute U.S. Group Annuity Risk Transfer Sales Survey.
Backers of the Affordable Care Act, often called “ObamaCare,” said the increased number of insurers offering plans next year and rate reductions by some in competitive markets proves that the program is working six years after Americans first began enrolling for individual coverage under the health exchange marketplace.
With many in the U.S. struggling during the pandemic, it’s health insurance companies that are thriving. Health insurance companies report doubling billion-dollar profits during the pandemic in Q2 2020 compared to Q2 2019. Since 2009, employer health care premiums rose 57%, or an average of $7,459 per year. United Healthcare reported a medical loss ratio of…
For the second year in a row, three health insurers offering individual health plans under the Affordable Care Act in Tennessee are planning to cut their premiums next year as the competition among insurers grows with the return of the nation's biggest health insurer into the Tennessee health exchange market. Cigna, Oscar Health and Celtic/ Ambetter are all…
–Nationwide ® has partnered with the National Council on Aging to offer a free, self-service website to help consumers and financial professionals access the Medicare information they need to make informed decisions about their health care coverage. One of the most important services financial professionals can provide when planning for retirement is…
Aug. 30– Michael Kerr thought he would be back to work by now. When the 52- year-old from Reading was put on furlough from his retail manager position in mid-March, he figured the business would reopen by April, reinstating him and other employees. The Kaiser Family Foundation has estimated that 27 million Americans could lose their employer-sponsored insurance…
–Recruiter.com Group, Inc., a leading hiring platform with the world's largest network of recruiters, has announced its success delivering innovative recruiting solutions for the healthcare industry, rapidly sourcing and filling key healthcare roles across the country.. “Of the new jobs added to the Recruiter.com job marketplace, approximately 34% are in…
Methodology QuoteWizard analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data from June 2020, and paired it with May 2020 uninsured data from the Kaiser Family Foundation and Families USA to see which states saw the greatest impacts from unemployment on uninsured rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rankings are based on a change in uninsured rates from…
Consumers postponed nonessential health procedures during the initial COVID-19 outbreak, and that led to unusually high second-quarter earnings for publicly…
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug. 24, 2020) — America’s workers concerned about the financial impact of treatment for COVID-19 and other infectious…
The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed our lives forever. It has given us a new vocabulary, new lifestyle and a new outlook on what’s to come — both in and out of the workplace. It’s now time to plan for post-pandemic employee benefits.
There is no shortage of people who have repeated Winston's Churchill's observation that one should never let a crisis go to waste. And it should be back on the agenda in Tennessee. Medicare was a giant decades-long battle before Congress finally approved it in 1965– when the words “socialized medicine” brought about fear and loathing.
SOUTH MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, August 21, 2020/ EINPresswire.com/– Even during the midst of a national crisis, everything cannot grind to a halt. Because of Covid 19, many healthcare providers have closed offices. Many patients have been staying away, only visiting for medical emergencies.
WASHINGTON— One in five U.S. nursing homes faced severe shortages of protective gear like N95 masks this summer even as the Trump administration pledged to help, according to a study released Thursday that finds facilities in areas hard-hit by COVID-19 also struggled to keep staff. People living in long-term care facilities represent less than 1 percent of…
Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health issued the following news release:. The Perspective article in the New England Journal of Medicine, co-authored by Harvard University PhD student Sumit Agarwal and Benjamin Sommers, professor of health policy and economics at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, will be published online August 19,…
As hospitals care for people with COVID-19 and try to keep others from catching the virus, more patients are opting to be treated where they feel safest: at home. Across the U.S.,“ hospital at home” programs are taking off amid the pandemic, thanks to communications technology, portable medical equipment and teams of doctors, nurses, X-ray techs and paramedics.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a Trump administration-backed lawsuit to strike down the Affordable Care Act one week after Election Day. The case against the ACA is led by Texas and a group of Republican-led states. California and a group of Democratic-led states are defending the law.
A report finds virtual fatigue, financial stressors and stigmas around getting employer-offered help as top reasons employees – especially younger workers – are struggling with mental health.
Aug. 19– AUGUSTA, Maine– Health care advocates in Maine are waiting to see if a deadlocked Congress will boost a federal Medicaid funding match provision as the state prepares across-the-board spending cuts due to the coronavirus pandemic. That federal increase will last as long as a federal emergency declaration does, but the fate of additional aid remains…
Liu Jingzhen, the chairman of SinoPharm, told a Chinese Communist Party newspaper that the vaccine would cost less than 1,000 yuan and be given in two shots, 28 days apart. Liu, who is also the company’ s Communist Party secretary, told the paper that he had been injected with the vaccine. —Report: U.S. nursing home cases up nearly 80% in COVID-19 rebound.
Health insurance rates in New York will increase by an average of just 1.8% in 2021, the lowest increase in a decade. The state Department of Financial Services announced the rates Thursday, coming in far below the 11.7% average rate increases sought by health insurers as consumers continue to struggle financially due to COVID-19.
San Diego's pension debt, which surpassed $3 billion for the first time last winter, is increasing another $200 million because a new analysis found city workers are living longer than previous studies had shown. The spike in debt will increase the city's annual pension payment, which has floated around $350 million the last few years, another $24.1 million…
