Consumer Coverage Blog » General Healthcare

Health Care Reform

admin — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 05:42:39 +0000

Jacksonville, Florida -Â HEALTH INSURANCE NEWS TODAY

As part of the Health Care Reform Law, starting this year many Medicare recipients will pay less for prescription drugs.

â€œIf they have high costs and fall in the gap of medicine, they’re going to be able to cut their costs in half, and they are going to be able to get doctorâ€™s visits and cancer screenings without any out of pocket costs,â€ said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.

Because there is going to be a focus on preventative health services, health officials say there may be less people in the waiting room.

â€œIf we intervene earlier in these diseases we can reduce health care costs,â€ said Mark Valacak, the Director of the Genesee County Health Department.

Also changing this year, restaurants with 20 or more locations will be required to post calorie counts on their menus, with Flint being one of the top ten cities for obesity rates, the Genesee County Health Department hopes this will make a difference.

â€œBeing informed, having the information there, will allow us to make better food choices,â€ said Valacak.

Tax season is almost here, now small businesses will get a tax cut to help pay for health insurance for their employees.

â€œWe want to turn this around so that families have freedom from worrying about whether or not they will be able to get medical care,â€ said Senator Stabenow.

And Senator Stabenow says health insurance companies are now held accountable.

â€œIf they spend too much money on administrative or profits they are going to have to refund money to families with insurance,â€ said Senator Stabenow.

Some positive changes lawmakers say Mid-Michigan families can look forward to for 2011.

Senator Stabenow says the Health Care Reform Law also includes a provision that lets early retirees stay on their former employerâ€™s insurance plan until they qualify for Medicare.

A repeal of the health care law would likely die in the senate.

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Post tags: health care reform, Health Insurance, health insurance news, health insurance reform, jacksonville florida, medicare, reform law

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Medicare insurance premiums remain the same

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:53:22 +0000

In an overwhelming response the House voted to stop health insurance premium increases in Medicare part B which insures Doctor visits, from being implemented next year. The bill now is forwarded to the Senate where the finance committee is projected to review and pass it soon although no hearing have been scheduled at this time. According to lawmakers older citizens should not have to pay higher Medicare premiums because they are expected to receive a cost of living raise from Social Security. Most seniors have their Medicare premiums automatically drafted from their Social security payments. What do you think about this bill to increase Medicare insurance premiums?

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Post tags: Health Insurance, insurance premiums, medicare insurance

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Are children at risk with the health insurance reform?

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:14:42 +0000

Advocates supporting childrenâ€™s health are worried that the health insurance reform could jeopardize coverage for thousands of low income children currently insured by the State Childrenâ€™s Health Insurance plan which is predicted to expire in 2013. The health insurance reform would slide those children into new insurance exchanges in which they would received coverage under their parentâ€™s policies. Activists and some distressed Democratic legislators say the objective is well meaning but it does not promise that children would not be left worse off by the reform. Do you think that children will benefit or suffer from the new health insurance reform?

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Post tags: childrens health insurancehealth insurance plans, Health Insurance, health insurance reform

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Health insurance extends coverage for young adults

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:44:25 +0000

As the debate over the health care reform continues, states have been busy implementing their own laws to permit young adults to stay longer on their parentâ€™s health insurance. New York passed a law allowing parents to keep children on their companyâ€™s health insurance up to the age of twenty nine, regardless if they are not students. The stipulation is that the dependant must not be eligible for other coverage and they must work or be a permanent resident of the state. There are more than twenty states so far that have adopted similar laws. Do you think children should be allowed to remain on their parentâ€™s health insurance until their late twenties?

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Post tags: Health Insurance, health insurance coverage

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Obama makes the right moves towards health insurance

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:31:28 +0000

President Obama continued his fight against the health insurance companies in New Hampshire today. Obama is making the right moves; both the Democrats and Republicans realize that health insurance companies are the biggest problem with our existing health care system. According to the President insurance companies are money hungry. They have so many limitations. Insurance companies do not cover you if you have a pre-existing condition and they discard people from their health insurance plans as soon as they get sick. President Obama promises that all this will change when the health care reform is passed. According to the President no one in the U.S. should go broke because they got ill. Do you agree with the President? Are insurance companies the biggest problem with our health care system?

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Post tags: Health Insurance, health insurance companies, health insurance reform, insurance

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Universal health insurance causes crisis

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:10:30 +0000

Soaring costs are pushing Franceâ€™s universal health care system into crisis. Their health insurance system covers everyone and also provides high quality care. This is what the United States is debating over now with the reform. Because of the economic crisis that Franceâ€™s universal health care system is causing, France is now trying to implement some U.S. tactics by imposing co-pays on patients. France has also cut back on prescription costs and forced state hospitals to limit expenses. Does this affect the quality of care that patients are receiving? If our reform is passed will it lead the U.S. into a deeper economic crisis? Â

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Post tags: Health Insurance, induvidual heal insurance, universal health insurance

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Taxes pay for Health insurance

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:59:35 +0000

On Monday the White House tried to saturate speculation that the government may have to raise taxes on the middle class to pay for the health insurance reform. This was despite what President Obama has been preaching since his election. The president reprimanded his economic team stating that he intends to stand by his word and will not raise taxes on families making less than $250K. The Presidentâ€™s plan is to impose taxes on only the wealthiest Americans. Certain critics say that Obama should not limit the tax increases to only the rich. They state that the increases should extend to a broader section of Americans so that way they would become invested in the new healthcare system like they are in Medicare and Social security. What do you think?

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Post tags: health insurance reform, insurance, medicare

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