Understanding the upcoming changes to healthcare under the Affordable Care Act is important, especially considering that individuals will be required under the law to have insurance by January 1, 2014. Many states including California have set up health insurance exchanges, marketplaces where people can compare standardized, government-regulated plans. Though businesses …
Credit Agency Chosen to Verify Incomes for Insurance Subsidies under ACA
Equifax Workforce Solutions, a division of Equifax Inc., has been chosen by the Obama Administration to verify the incomes of those who apply for insurance subsidies, when the mandatory insurance rule under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) goes into effect. Millions of low- and moderate-income individuals who do not qualify …
Many Americans Receiving Refunds from Health Insurance Companies
The Obama Administration recently announced that 8.5 million Americans will be getting refunds from their health insurance companies this year. This is due to a provision of the Affordable Care Act stating that if an insurance company isn’t spending at least 80 percent of a person’s premium payments toward their …
The Advantages of a Health Savings Account
Health savings accounts (HSAs) are designed to help people save money for future medical expenses. To qualify for an HSA a person must have a high deductible plan. The idea behind HSAs is that when an individual pays out-of-pocket for care, they will spend their money more wisely. An HSA …
10 Essential Health Benefits Insurance Plans Must Cover in 2014
The insurance mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will require that most Americans carry health insurance by January 2014. Among the goals of the ACA has been to ensure that people receive comprehensive coverage, and several provisions have been incorporated into the ACA to that end, including a rule …
Upcoming Changes to Healthcare Under the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, and new rules and stipulations are being phased in over time. Here is a look at some of the upcoming changes in the next 18 months, under the Affordable Care Act. 2013 October 1 — Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace …
Health Care Mandate Delayed for Employers with 50+ Employees
The Obama Administration has extended the time employers with more than 50 employees have, to offer health insurance to their employees, or face a per-employee penalty. The mandate was originally scheduled to start in 2014 and has now been extended to 2015. The extension was prompted by complaints that the …
Pediatric Dental Benefit Requirements Lifted for Covered California Health Insurance Plans
The California health insurance exchange known as Covered California recently lifted the requirement of health plans to include pediatric dental benefits. This essentially means that dental benefits won’t be required to be a part of qualified health plans (QHPs). Carriers offering plans through the exchange, however, will still be required …
American Medical Association Declares Obesity a Disease
The American Medical Association (AMA) has officially classified obesity as a disease nearly 15 years after the National Institutes of Health did so in 1998. Since the AMA is considered the nation’s leading physician organization, the impact of the AMA’s decision to classify obesity as a disease will likely be …
Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Young People
There has been much debate in the news recently about how young adults will fare under the new healthcare law in terms of the cost of health insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurers will not be allowed to sell individual coverage to adults 64 or older with a …