The COBRA health insurance premium subsidy period was recently extended to May 31, 2010, thanks to the passing of the Continuing Extension Act of 2010. The COBRA subsidy is available for up to 15 months.
This act also provides that an individual who previously had a reduction in hours but did not elect (or elected and then discontinued) COBRA continuation coverage, will have a second opportunity to elect continuation coverage and qualify for the COBRA subsidy if the individual’s employment is subsequently involuntarily terminated between the dates of September 1, 2008, and May 31, 2010. The individual will be eligible for the COBRA subsidy as of the date the individual’s hours were reduced rather than when their employment ended.
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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico health insurance (BCBSNM) has reached a settlement with the New Mexico Insurance Division and the state Attorney General’s Office on its individual market premium increase.
In December 2009, the New Mexico Insurance Division approved a rate increase for BCBSNM individual plans for a total average premium increase of 24.6 percent. BCBSNM began notifying individual policyholders in January of the increases, which would be effective beginning April 1, 2010.
Following member complaints, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) requested that the Insurance Division review the approval process and conduct a formal public hearing. T
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Although they have held importance for some time, credit scores have been vaulted to even higher significance for people given the recent recession.
As a result of financial difficulties seen by business and consumers, lenders have tightened their requirements regarding credit scores and the products they offer, such as credit cards and home loans. However, to gain access to these scores, consumers had to pay certain companies a fee.
That may change given an amendment approved by the U.S. Read all post…
Earlier this year, the Colorado Division of Insurance began a review process of the rate increase they had approved for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield last fall. The rate increase of nearly 20% went into effect in January 2010, but the Division of Insurance is reconsidering it, and wading through mounds of paperwork to do so. The process of reviewing the rate increase is a lengthy one, and it will probably take a few more months before it’s completed.
The executive director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, Dede de Percin, noted that “This rate hike sounds outrageous and it is outrageous but it’s probably not a case of gouging. That’s the thing. That’s the
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In my readings about health care and health policy, I’ve been noticing more and more references lately to the idea that early detection of cancer isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and that excessive screening tests in general might be causing more harm than good in terms of false positives and aggressive treatment for conditions that might have cleared up on their own. Maggie Mahar’s thoughts on our fear of cancer is a good read for anyone, and should make us stop and pause before agreeing to a slew of screening exams at every checkup.
I mentioned yesterday that the executive director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, Dede de Percin, pointed out that the recent double digit rate increases submitted for review by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield were likely justified, based on the 12% increase in the cost of care for insureds. I see a
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In 2014, the Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act will mandate that everyone have health insurance, and that all policies be guaranteed issue. Medical underwriting, denials and exclusions based on medical history will be a memory. But until then, individual health insurance will continue to be medically underwritten, which is the main reason why the premiums are lower than similar policies in the group market.
Medical underwriting starts with the application, which involves an extensive list of health and lifestyle questions. If an insurance company needs more information, they can call the applicant to discuss a particular issue, or order medical records for complete details. H
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While the underlying cost of health insurance services remains an under-reported issue, there are signs that this may be changing. The California legislature, for example, is beginning to turn its attention to rising hospital and provider costs, and not just the rising cost of premiums. Just in time, the U.S. Justice Department announced last week that California’s largest health care purchasers can proceed with an extensive study of the costs of care at more than 300 hospitals statewide. The California Hospital Association tried to block the project claiming antitrust concerns, but the Justice Department rejected the claim. O
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In Nevada health insurance, an April 29 letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Governor Jim Gibbons estimated that the $61 million his state would receive to implement a high-risk pool under the federal health care reform law would be grossly inadequate; serving roughly 2,900 of the 100,000 people who may be eligible. In opting out, the governor stated that he does not believe there are sufficient financial or human resources available to operate the pool.