Insurance Journal » Obamacare http://www.insurancejournal.com Insurance Journal delivers the latest business news for the Property/Casualty insurance industry Fri, 24 May 2013 14:05:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 California Offers Glimpse Into Health Insurance Prices Under Obamacare http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/24/293200.htm Fri, 24 May 2013 13:25:16 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=293200 California unveiled prices on Thursday that consumers will pay for a selection of health plans offered through the state under the Affordable Care Act, providing a glimpse into how health care reform may look as it is rolled out across …

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]]> GOP Questions Fundraising for Obamacare http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2013/05/21/292778.htm Tue, 21 May 2013 13:56:42 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=292778 With the White House already reeling from three major controversies, some Republican lawmakers are zeroing in on what they perceive is another possible scandal tied to President Barack Obama’s landmark health reform law just as it nears implementation. On top …

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]]> California Health Exchange Also Will Offer Voter Registration http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/20/292674.htm Mon, 20 May 2013 16:04:55 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=292674 California will become the first state to offer voter registration through its health insurance marketplace later this year. Millions of Californians will get the chance to register at the same time they are buying insurance under the federal Affordable Care …

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]]> Report: New Mexico Facing Medical Access Difficulties http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/16/292239.htm Thu, 16 May 2013 15:42:57 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=292239 New Mexicans could have longer waits for a doctor or specialist as demand grows for medical services because of an aging population and expanded insurance coverage under a federal health care law, legislative auditors said Wednesday. A report released by …

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]]> Utah to Be First to Use Dual-Model Health Exchange http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/13/291721.htm Mon, 13 May 2013 16:18:17 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=291721 The federal government has approved Utah to become the first state to have a dual-model health insurance exchange in which the state and the federal government divide responsibilities. The plan allows Utah to continue to run its existing health insurance …

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]]> California Exchange Granted Secrecy http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/05/10/291572.htm Fri, 10 May 2013 15:48:13 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=291572 The California agency overseeing national health care reforms was granted sweeping authority to conceal spending on contractors that will perform most of its functions. The degree of secrecy the Legislature gave Covered California appears unique among states attempting to establish …

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]]> Republicans Renew Push for Repeal of Obamacare http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2013/05/10/291532.htm Fri, 10 May 2013 13:14:10 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=291532 The White House announced a new $150 million initiative on Thursday to get uninsured Americans covered under President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law, as Republicans raised the volume on their calls for “Obamacare” to be repealed. The enrollment program will …

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]]> Health Insurers Cautious About Joining State Health Exchanges http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2013/05/06/290952.htm Mon, 06 May 2013 14:28:32 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=290952 The nation’s largest health insurers are far from leaping at the chance to join new state health insurance exchanges under President Barack Obama’s reform law, making it likely that some markets will have little or no competition next year. These …

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]]> Feds Will Enforce Insurance Regulations In Wyoming http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2013/04/09/287761.htm Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:17:26 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=287761 The federal government will directly enforce Affordable Care Act regulations in Wyoming when key pieces of the federal health care reform law take effect in January. Federal officials made the decision after learning the Wyoming Department of Insurance lacks the …

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]]> Rate Cap for Older Insureds to Mean Higher Health Insurance Costs for Younger http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2013/02/25/282524.htm Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:37:32 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=282524 The Obama administration on Friday finalized new consumer safeguards for health insurance that impose tighter restrictions on what insurers can charge older customers, despite industry warnings that the young may be forced to pay more as a result. The Department …

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]]> Only 11 States Have Moved on Obamacare Health Regulations http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2013/02/01/279652.htm Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:02:42 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=279652 Only 11 of the 50 U.S. states have moved to implement new consumer safeguards under President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, raising questions about how major health insurance reforms will be enforced, a report released on Friday says. The report by …

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]]> Idaho’s Otter Opts For State-Based Insurance Exchange http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/12/14/274102.htm Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:07:38 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=274102 Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter said a state-built health insurance exchange is the best option for Idaho under the federal government’s health care overhaul, but left the final decision up to lawmakers who return to Boise in January. Otter has criticized …

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]]> Utah Governor Asks Obama to Approve His State’s Health Exchange http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/12/12/273747.htm Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:13:08 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=273747 Utah Gov. Gary Herbert asked President Barack Obama on Tuesday for help getting the state’s small-business health insurance marketplace approved as good enough for Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Utah created a health insurance exchange for small businesses …

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]]> Feds Approve Colorado, Oregon, Washington Insurance Exchanges http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/12/12/273710.htm Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:55:25 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=273710 Colorado, Oregon and Washington are among the first six states to get preliminary approval from the Obama Administration to operate a health insurance exchange. The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services announced the decision on Monday.  The other states were: …

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]]> Colorado Moving To Curb Health Insurance Costs http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/12/05/272823.htm Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:45:26 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=272823 Colorado officials say health care reform has given them the power to curb insurance rate hikes. Those curbs helped the state block a 24 percent increase request by Cigna. According to the Denver Post Cigna wanted to raise rates for …

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]]> Idaho’s Otter May Take Another Month On Exchange Decision http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/11/20/271264.htm Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:34:56 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=271264 Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter will take up to another month to decide whether Idaho will build its own health insurance exchange – or opt for an exchange created by the federal government. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services …

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]]> Five Republican Governors Reject State-Run Health Exchanges http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/11/19/270990.htm Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:16:01 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=270990 Five Republican governors rejected on Friday a major provision of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law that calls on states to set up online health insurance markets where consumers can purchase private coverage at federally subsidized rates. That makes it …

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]]> California Health Board Oks Plan For Insurance Exchange http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/11/16/270904.htm Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:37:00 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=270904 The board overseeing California’s efforts to establish an insurance marketplace for providing affordable health care approved its operational blueprint Wednesday, an essential step toward meeting a key deadline under the federal health care reform law. The governor’s office is expected …

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]]> Georgia Unlikely to Run Health Insurance Exchange: Gov. Deal http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2012/11/09/270057.htm Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:50:56 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=270057 A day after Barack Obama’s re-election, Gov. Nathan Deal suggested that he will not implement a Georgia health insurance exchange as part of the 2010 federal health care overhaul that ranks as the president signature legislative achievement. Deal told The …

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]]> Insurance Agents and the 2012 Election: Interview with Big I CEO Rusbuldt http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/11/02/268618.htm Fri, 02 Nov 2012 07:00:44 +0000 Andrew G. Simpson http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=268618 When it comes to the 2012 presidential election, insurance agents have, as industry insiders like to say, “skin in the game.” In addition to being concerned with how the overall economy will perform under either a re-elected President Barack Obama …

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]]> Health Insurers Nervous Over Prospect of Romney Victory http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/10/30/268296.htm Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:00:54 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=268296 You’d think health insurance CEOs would be chilling the bubbly with Republican Mitt Romney’s improved election prospects, but instead they’re in a quandary. Although the industry hates parts of President Barack Obama’s health care law, major outfits such as UnitedHealth …

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]]> Expert: Idaho Has No Time For State Exchange http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/10/11/266290.htm Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:53:07 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=266290 Idaho has run out of time to establish a state-run insurance exchange required by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, meaning working with the federal government on a solution is virtually unavoidable. That’s according to a consultant advising a 13-member …

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]]> Americans Do Not Expect Total Repeal of Health Care Law: Poll http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/09/27/264584.htm Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:43:52 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=264584 They may not like it, but they don’t see it going away. About 7 in 10 Americans think President Barack Obama’s health care law will go fully into effect with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations, an Associated …

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]]> ‘One Way or Another’ Agencies See Growth in Group Health http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/07/16/255862.htm Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:13:38 +0000 Don Jergler http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=255862 “One way or another.” Is that the best way to describe a sound investment strategy nowadays? Yes. If you’re talking about the growing number of agencies investing in group health benefits offerings. It’s the attitude being echoed by more and …

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]]> After Court Rules, Idaho Has Dilemma Over Exchange http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/07/02/254148.htm Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:40:16 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=254148 Incensed over “Obamacare,” Idaho lawmakers last session snubbed $20 million from the federal government earmarked for an insurance exchange and refused even to make baby steps toward establishing this online marketplace for individuals and small companies to shop for coverage. …

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]]> Florida Won’t Implement Medicaid Expansion, Health Exchange http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2012/07/02/254042.htm Mon, 02 Jul 2012 14:04:14 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=254042 Florida Gov. Rick Scott said his state will opt out of implementing optional portions of the Affordable Care Act that deal with expanding Medicaid and building a public insurance exchange to sell coverage. He said that Florida will implement the …

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]]> Republican Leaders Vow Healthcare Law Repeal http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/07/02/254021.htm Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:06:32 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=254021 The two top Republicans in Congress vowed on Sunday to push ahead with efforts to repeal President Barack Obama’s healthcare law despite the Supreme Court upholding it, but the White House said it is time to stop fighting and start …

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]]> Corporate Winners, Losers Under Supreme Court Healthcare Ruling http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/06/29/253680.htm Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:18:04 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=253680 Hospitals and insurers providing Medicaid plans for the poor emerged as the main corporate winners from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, while investors in large insurers were left deflated. The ruling paves the …

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]]> Why Chief Justice Roberts Saved Obama’s Healthcare Law http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/06/29/253671.htm Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:26:35 +0000 http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=253671 In the end, it all came down to Chief Justice John Roberts, the sphinx in the center chair, who in a stunning decision wove together competing rationales to uphold President Barack Obama’s healthcare plan. Roberts’ action instantly upended the conventional …

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]]> Jones Praises Supreme Court, Calls for Health Rate Reviews http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/06/28/253640.htm Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:43:56 +0000 Don Jergler http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=253640 California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to uphold the Affordable Care Act – and he took the opportunity to state his support for health rate hike reviews in California. “The passage of the …

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