Search Results for: blog approved for health insurance one more time

My Broker’s Advice About My Discontinued Policy

In August of 2012, my health insurance company, Anthem, sent me a letter telling me that my policy had been discontinued. Naturally, I panicked. I need health insurance, and this was the only plan I could afford. Later, they sent a letter telling me they were raising the premium cost. What to do? Here’s what my insurance broker advised. After several unsuccessful attempts to find affordable health insurance, I went to see an insurance broker. This brilliant woman found me a plan that was comprehensive and that had a premium that was low enough for me to afford. If I … Continue reading →

South Carolina Votes Against State-Based Exchange

Quite some time ago, the Governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, decided that her state would not create its own health insurance exchange. Now, the South Carolina House of Representatives have officially voted against a state-based exchange. People who live in the state will still have access to a federal exchange. In September of 2011, the South Carolina Department of Insurance received a federal Planning Grant of $1 million. The purpose of the money from a Planning Grant was to help a state begin working on a state-based health insurance exchange. The governor established the South Carolina Health Planning Committee … Continue reading →

After Much Bickering, Mississippi Begins Work on Exchange

A total of 20 states have had their plans for a health insurance exchange approved by the Department of Health and Human Services. The state of Mississippi has had their application put on hold, until the state’s Governor and Insurance Commissioner managed to agree about the type of exchange Mississippi will have. The Affordable Care Act requires all states to have a functioning health insurance exchange that is ready to go by January 1, 2014. A total of 20 states have gained approval. (or conditional approval) for their plans for an exchange. The majority of them selected a state-based health … Continue reading →

Bachmann Introduces Bill to Repeal Affordable Care Act

The very first bill that was introduced to the brand new 113th Congress came from Representative Michele Bachmann. The purpose of the bill is to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The same type of bill was presented to the 112th Congress 33 times. None were voted into law. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. It is, without a doubt, the biggest set of regulations on health reform and health insurance that has ever been passed. The name is often shortened to Affordable Care Act, or ACA. Some refer … Continue reading →

Six States have Insurance Exchanges Approved

A total of thirteen states (and the District of Columbia), have been working on creating a state-based health insurance exchange. This week, the Obama Administration gave conditional approval to the exchanges of six states. This is excellent news for the uninsured people living in those states. Part of the Affordable Care Act requires each and every state (and the District of Columbia) to have a health insurance exchange. The exchanges will be used by individuals and small businesses who are uninsured or who are seeking a more affordable health insurance plan. The exchanges will make it clear if a person … Continue reading →

Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills?

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has proposed a new idea. They say oral contraceptives should be made available over-the-counter without the need for a prescription. How would this affect your health insurance coverage? In August of 2011, the Affordable Care Act was expanded to include the coverage of women’s preventative health services. This means that all health insurance plans must cover the cost of those services, including all FDA approved forms of contraception, without charging a co-pay or deductible. All health plans, whether they are individual or an employer sponsored health plan, must cover birth control in this … Continue reading →

Mall Pet Stores: The Beginning of The End

I’ve been following the story of the move some cities in California made to ban all pet stores that actually sold animals. This was made in an attempt to curb the sale of dogs and cats sourced from puppy mills and kitten factories. I talked about how, as a teenager, one of the only stores I ever liked stopping at in the mall was the pet store. I wondered where that pet store got its animals. The era of pet stores in malls might be coming to an end. California-based company Macerich, which owns shopping malls all across the country, … Continue reading →

Medi-Cal Continues to be Problematic

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The Medi-Cal program in California is a public form of health insurance. There is a history of problems with the program, primarily with the reimbursement rate that doctors get for treating patients who use Medi-Cal. These problems are continuing, and new problems have formed. Medi-Cal is part of the Medicaid program in the state of California. Just like with other state’s Medicaid programs, it is paid for in part by the federal government, and in part by the state government. It is a public form of health insurance that is used by people who are low-income, people who are disabled, … Continue reading →

Kentucky Will Create a Health Insurance Exchange

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Some states have been working on setting up a health insurance exchange for quite some time. Other states have flat out refused to create one. The state of Kentucky will make a state health insurance exchange. Governor Steve Beshear issued an executive order to establish one. In July of this year, the Supreme Court decided that the Affordable Care Act was constitutional. This means that states will need to create a health insurance exchange, and must have that exchange approved by the federal government, and operational, in 2014. States that choose not to create their own exchange will have one … Continue reading →

House of Representatives Ready to Vote to Repeal – Again

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It is no longer a surprise to learn that the House of Representatives is getting ready to vote about the Affordable Care Act, yet again. This has happened many, many, times before. No matter what the House decides, the bill would still have to be approved by the Senate before anything could change. Not every American is interested in politics. However, I think that even the people who don’t watch the news, don’t read the newspaper, and do not use the internet for anything other than Facebook, realize that the Republican party really hates the Affordable Care Act. This is … Continue reading →