mlr News

Health Insurers to Pay $500M in Rebates

U.S. insurers will pay $500 million in rebates to employers and individuals this summer because of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, about half the amount they paid last year. The law, often called Obamacare, requires companies to refund customers when …

Obamacare Medical Loss Ratio Saved $1.5 Billion in 2011: Report

Consumers saw nearly $1.5 billion in insurer rebates and overhead cost savings in 2011, due to the Affordable Care Act’s medical loss ratio provision requiring health insurers to spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care or …

Insurance Agents and the 2012 Election: Interview with Big I CEO Rusbuldt

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 …

Arkansas Clarifies Definition of Small Employer for Healthcare Issues

Arkansas has clarified that it will retain the current statutory definition of a small employer as being one that retains 2 to 50 employees for purposes of small group health insurance issues. The Arkansas Insurance Department made the distinction, however, …

North Carolina Insurers Still Hoping for Medical Loss Ratio Waiver

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is going overtime as it decides whether to stick with federal standards that could mean $12 million in rebates for more than 58,000 North Carolina residents who buy their own health insurance. …

Louisiana Senator Co-Sponsors Bill to Protect Agent Health Commissions

Two U.S. senators have filed a bill to clarify that agent compensation should be excluded from the federal health reform Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) requirement for the individual and small group markets. Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., chair of the …

Federal Government Rejects Texas Insurance Waiver

The federal government has rejected a request by Texas to be excluded from a new law that limits how much health insurance companies can spend on overhead. The law is part of the Affordable Care Act, changes made in federal …

South Dakota Governor Says He Won’t Pursue Health Exchange

Gov. Dennis Daugaard has announced that his administration will not pursue legislation to establish a health insurance exchange during this year’s South Dakota’s legislative session. In a news release, Daugaard says there is too much uncertainty right now to recommend …

Oklahoma Commissioner Disappointed in Denial of MLR Waiver Request

Oklahoma’s top insurance regulator believes the medical insurance market is headed for “disruption” as a result of the medical loss ratio component of federal health insurance reform After Oklahoma’s request for a waiver of the MLR requirement was denied by …

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Doak Has Had a Full Plate in 2011

In his first year as insurance commissioner of Oklahoma, John Doak has been a busy man. Doak and the agency he leads have had their hands full implementing reforms in the workers’ compensation system, dealing with a host of natural …