Less than two weeks from today, Obamacare's partially subsidized health insurance exchanges—where millions of Americans will be expected to obtain health coverage—are scheduled to go on-line. Today at 2 p.m., Thursday, September 19, 2013, please join me, Rick Ungar, and Forbes for an interactive Video Town Hall entitled Countdown to Obamacare.
Reported by Forbes.com 39 minutes ago.
Video Town Hall: Avik Roy and Rick Ungar on the Countdown to Obamacare [TODAY]
↧
↧
Cigna Plans are Again Top-Ranked in Tennessee, According to NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings
BLOOMFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cigna Plans are Again Top-Ranked in Tennessee, According to NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings
Reported by Business Wire 2 days ago.
↧
Cigna's Health Maintenance Organization in New Jersey is Top-Ranked HMO in State, According to NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2013–2014
JERSEY CITY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cigna has the top-ranked HMO/POS plan in New Jersey, according to National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA’s) Private Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2013–2014. Its national ranking is 85.
Reported by Business Wire 2 days ago.
↧
Molina Healthcare Plans Included in NCQA’s Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2013-2014
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH) today announced that the widely respected National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has included Molina Healthcare’s health plans in California, Florida, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin in NCQA’s Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Rankings for 2013-2014. All of Molina Healthcare’s eligible health plans are ranked by NCQA, a private non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care
Reported by Business Wire 2 days ago.
↧
National Patient Advocate Foundation Served as Panel Expert with US News, Health & Human Services Officials and LATISM in Bi-Lingual Twitter Chat on the ACA Health Insurance Marketplaces
NPAF Encourages Consumers to Download their User's Guide to Health Insurance Marketplaces for Information on How to Access Insurance Products WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF), U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Reported by PR Newswire 2 days ago.
↧
↧
Hawaii unaffected by health insurance exchange pricing glitch
Several dozen states planning to launch federally-run online health insurance exchanges are experiencing a pricing glitch in the government’s software two weeks before the Oct. 1 launch date, but Hawaii is among 14 states unaffected by the pricing glitch because its Hawaii Health Connector will be run by the state. The issue specifically affects 36 states where the online health insurance exchanges are run solely or in part by the federal government; the software is failing to “reliably determine…
Reported by bizjournals 2 days ago.
↧
Zane Benefits Publishes New Information on Health Insurance Exchange Carriers and Rates
New Report Provides a Sneak Peak at Health Insurance Exchange Carriers and Rates
Park City, UT (PRWEB) September 21, 2013
Today, Zane Benefits, the number one online small business health benefits solution, published new information on health insurance exchange carriers and rates.
According to Zane Benefits’ website, the Kaiser Family Foundation recently released a report analyzing individual health insurance premiums estimations for 2014. The report analyzes individual health insurance plan rates released in the 17 states plus the District of Columbia that have publicly released comprehensive data on health insurance exchange rates, or the rate filings submitted by insurers.
All states reporting plan rates at time of analysis had at least two insurance providers offering plans through their health insurance exchange. Though, the number of plans and tiers of coverage that each insurer provides varies.
The individual health insurance market is highly concentrated, with only a few health insurance companies providing insurance to a large majority of the population insured through individual or family plans currently. This is likely to change, but not right away. However, having access to side-by-side comparisons of these plans will open the market to other individual health insurance plan carriers.
Income and family size will be the determinants of whether or not an individual and his/her family are eligible for the ACA premium tax subsidies ("credits"). The premium tax subsidies cap the premium at a percentage of income.
According to KFF, individual health insurance exchange premium rates will vary significantly throughout the country, but in general they have been lower than expected. Estimations from the Congressional Budget Office imply that the premium for a 40-year-old enrolled in a Silver plan would pay a national average of $320/month for individual coverage. Fifteen out of the eighteen states for which data was available show premiums below that estimate.
Click here to read the full article.
--
About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 to provide a revolutionized SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) administration platform ("ZaneHRA") for defined contribution health care. The flagship software provides a 100% paperless administration experience to small businesses and insurance professionals that want to offer better health benefits without a traditional group health insurance plan at lower costs. For more information about Zane Benefits, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.
Park City, UT (PRWEB) September 21, 2013
Today, Zane Benefits, the number one online small business health benefits solution, published new information on health insurance exchange carriers and rates.
According to Zane Benefits’ website, the Kaiser Family Foundation recently released a report analyzing individual health insurance premiums estimations for 2014. The report analyzes individual health insurance plan rates released in the 17 states plus the District of Columbia that have publicly released comprehensive data on health insurance exchange rates, or the rate filings submitted by insurers.
All states reporting plan rates at time of analysis had at least two insurance providers offering plans through their health insurance exchange. Though, the number of plans and tiers of coverage that each insurer provides varies.
The individual health insurance market is highly concentrated, with only a few health insurance companies providing insurance to a large majority of the population insured through individual or family plans currently. This is likely to change, but not right away. However, having access to side-by-side comparisons of these plans will open the market to other individual health insurance plan carriers.
Income and family size will be the determinants of whether or not an individual and his/her family are eligible for the ACA premium tax subsidies ("credits"). The premium tax subsidies cap the premium at a percentage of income.
According to KFF, individual health insurance exchange premium rates will vary significantly throughout the country, but in general they have been lower than expected. Estimations from the Congressional Budget Office imply that the premium for a 40-year-old enrolled in a Silver plan would pay a national average of $320/month for individual coverage. Fifteen out of the eighteen states for which data was available show premiums below that estimate.
Click here to read the full article.
--
About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 to provide a revolutionized SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) administration platform ("ZaneHRA") for defined contribution health care. The flagship software provides a 100% paperless administration experience to small businesses and insurance professionals that want to offer better health benefits without a traditional group health insurance plan at lower costs. For more information about Zane Benefits, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.
↧
Certification Coursework for the NYHBE Individual Market Now Available For Producers Via Live Interactive Webinars Through CE Live
Less than two weeks before the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) swings into gear, online insurance continuing education provider CE Live is providing the mandatory classes for the NYHBE Individual Market Certification conveniently via live webinars that can be attended from any location.
Bridgehampton, NY (PRWEB) September 21, 2013
As the country counts down to midnight Oct.1, when the Obamacare Health Insurance Exchanges officially opens to the public, insurance brokers and agents licensed in New York State who haven’t already secured their NYHBE Individual Market Certification still have time—and they can do it without leaving home.
Insurance agents and brokers intending to sell health insurance policies on the State and Federal Exchanges are required to complete the certification process through approved providers like CE Live, according to CE Live Continuing Education President Jeff Belinson.
"Agents and brokers must complete the New York Health Benefits Exchange (NYHBE) SHOP certification course and then complete the Individual Market Certification in order to meet the certification requirements for selling on the NYHBE," Belinson says.
In August, CE Live helped brokers and agents complete their NYHBE SHOP course, the pre-requisite to earning the New York Health (NYHBE) individual market certification. Through a series of live, interactive webinars available only through CE Live, candidates for certification were able to take the required classes from their homes or offices. The NYHBE Individual Market Certification courses are also being offered via live webinars through CE Live, saving participants the time and expense of traveling to a classroom.
CE Live, the only company offering NYHBE certification coursework via interactive online webinars is also offering the final exam for individual market certification online. Thanks to CE Live's webinar programs, anyone can attend from any location, saving time and travel expenses.
Earlier this year, CE Live was among a handful of insurance continuing education providers selected to offer the critical NYHBE certification courses necessary for both the individual exchange and the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange. The Bridgehampton, New York company began offering the training through their convenient online webinars beginning August 1, 2013.
According to Beilinson, producers who hold a NY life, health, property or casualty class of insurance license and are looking to sell, solicit or negotiate health insurance through the NYHBE can get the necessary certification easily and affordably through CE Live’s innovative live webinars, making it possible for anyone to fit the coursework into their hectic schedule.
“We save you the expense of traveling to take classes and exams,” Belinson says.
“Our one-of-a-kind webinar format allows non-resident New York State insurance licensees to become SHOP and Individual Market certified from any location, a service no one else offers.
“We also offer solutions for participants who are not located in New York, to complete the mandatory 50 question exam.”
New York State licensees can also benefit from CE Live’s exclusive webinar format.
In addition to certifying agents and brokers for selling on the NYHBE, CE Live provides traditional continuing education courses also delivered via live, interactive webinar. A typical insurance CE Live webinar lasts one hour and is worth one insurance CE credit hour.
CE Live’s certification webinars are designed in accordance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 and the New York Health Benefit Exchange, established by NY Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order in April 2012. NYHBE will provide a marketplace for uninsured individuals and owners of small businesses to comparison shop for health insurance. It will also help qualified participants receive federal tax credits and cost sharing subsidies.
More than one million New Yorkers are anticipated to have access to health insurance through the Exchange after it begins accepting applications on Oct. 1.
NYHBE will serve two market groups: individuals and small businesses. Producers who wish to place business through NYHBE must be separately certified to operate in both markets.
For More information, visit the CE Live website, email Jeff(at)mycelive(dot)com, or call 631-913-8736. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
Bridgehampton, NY (PRWEB) September 21, 2013
As the country counts down to midnight Oct.1, when the Obamacare Health Insurance Exchanges officially opens to the public, insurance brokers and agents licensed in New York State who haven’t already secured their NYHBE Individual Market Certification still have time—and they can do it without leaving home.
Insurance agents and brokers intending to sell health insurance policies on the State and Federal Exchanges are required to complete the certification process through approved providers like CE Live, according to CE Live Continuing Education President Jeff Belinson.
"Agents and brokers must complete the New York Health Benefits Exchange (NYHBE) SHOP certification course and then complete the Individual Market Certification in order to meet the certification requirements for selling on the NYHBE," Belinson says.
In August, CE Live helped brokers and agents complete their NYHBE SHOP course, the pre-requisite to earning the New York Health (NYHBE) individual market certification. Through a series of live, interactive webinars available only through CE Live, candidates for certification were able to take the required classes from their homes or offices. The NYHBE Individual Market Certification courses are also being offered via live webinars through CE Live, saving participants the time and expense of traveling to a classroom.
CE Live, the only company offering NYHBE certification coursework via interactive online webinars is also offering the final exam for individual market certification online. Thanks to CE Live's webinar programs, anyone can attend from any location, saving time and travel expenses.
Earlier this year, CE Live was among a handful of insurance continuing education providers selected to offer the critical NYHBE certification courses necessary for both the individual exchange and the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange. The Bridgehampton, New York company began offering the training through their convenient online webinars beginning August 1, 2013.
According to Beilinson, producers who hold a NY life, health, property or casualty class of insurance license and are looking to sell, solicit or negotiate health insurance through the NYHBE can get the necessary certification easily and affordably through CE Live’s innovative live webinars, making it possible for anyone to fit the coursework into their hectic schedule.
“We save you the expense of traveling to take classes and exams,” Belinson says.
“Our one-of-a-kind webinar format allows non-resident New York State insurance licensees to become SHOP and Individual Market certified from any location, a service no one else offers.
“We also offer solutions for participants who are not located in New York, to complete the mandatory 50 question exam.”
New York State licensees can also benefit from CE Live’s exclusive webinar format.
In addition to certifying agents and brokers for selling on the NYHBE, CE Live provides traditional continuing education courses also delivered via live, interactive webinar. A typical insurance CE Live webinar lasts one hour and is worth one insurance CE credit hour.
CE Live’s certification webinars are designed in accordance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 and the New York Health Benefit Exchange, established by NY Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order in April 2012. NYHBE will provide a marketplace for uninsured individuals and owners of small businesses to comparison shop for health insurance. It will also help qualified participants receive federal tax credits and cost sharing subsidies.
More than one million New Yorkers are anticipated to have access to health insurance through the Exchange after it begins accepting applications on Oct. 1.
NYHBE will serve two market groups: individuals and small businesses. Producers who wish to place business through NYHBE must be separately certified to operate in both markets.
For More information, visit the CE Live website, email Jeff(at)mycelive(dot)com, or call 631-913-8736. Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
↧
New health law could be a tough sell to minority populations
In just more than a week, Oct. 1, the Michigan Health Insurance Marketplace launches with 13 insurers offering policies to those who might need them the most: the 1.4 million Michiganders who are uninsured or underinsured.
Reported by Freep 20 hours ago.
↧
↧
Business recap
*JPMorgan* agreed to pay $920 million in fines and admitted that its handling of London trading losses violated securities law.
*Walgreens *said it is moving 160,000 workers to a new health-insurance model, joining a growing list of large employers seeking to control costs by pointing employees to the private marketplace for insurance.
Read full article >>
Reported by Washington Post 23 hours ago.
*Walgreens *said it is moving 160,000 workers to a new health-insurance model, joining a growing list of large employers seeking to control costs by pointing employees to the private marketplace for insurance.
Read full article >>
Reported by Washington Post 23 hours ago.
↧
Will health-care changes help workers who feel stuck?
More than one-third of Washingtonians surveyed in a recent Elway Poll reported that either they or someone in their family had experienced “job lock” — meaning they want to quit but can’t because they need the health insurance that comes with the job.
Reported by Seattle Times 22 hours ago.
↧
Jobless woman cancels insurance
“For me to afford health insurance, I was going to have to eat badly,” she said, and risk having to go to medication to control her diabetes.
Reported by Seattle Times 22 hours ago.
↧
Voluntary Benefits of America Releases EnrollForLife.com Highlights September’s Life Insurance Awareness Month
Voluntary Benefits of America, LLC (VBA) has released http://www.EnrollForLife.com, an online self enroll platform that is designed to solve the long term care dilemma. VBA is rolling out Enroll For Life™ in September, Life Insurance Awareness Month, and will begin enrolling employees fourth quarter 2013.
Nashville, TN (PRWEB) September 22, 2013
Enroll For Life™ will host life insurance products that accomplish two goals; 1) provide a permanent death benefit, and 2) provide Long Term Care benefits. Most HR directors and consultants have long known that employer provided group life plans are designed to provide death benefits during an employee's working years. This creates a problem for the employee who desires to continue life insurance after employment. Life Insurance benefits provided by an employer can often end when an employee leaves employment. Employees can discover that after employment, life insurance coverage is expensive or even unavailable if a person has health issues. This leaves many without coverage when it is needed most. This can be especially troubling for the employee who wishes to continue life insurance into retirement since 61% of males and 71% of females age 65 will live until age 80.(1)
VBA believes Enroll For Life™ offers an enrollment solution by providing insurance that an employee can continue after retirement or leaving a job. Features of hosted products will include; life premiums guaranteed never to increase, coverage lasting a lifetime, limited or no medical underwriting, and an advancement of the death benefit for Long Term Care. Employees can enroll online or interact with a licensed professional via telephone or at the worksite.
Long term care planning is increasingly important because of an aging population.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a 65-year-old person has at least a 40% risk of entering a nursing home at some point.(2)
Enroll For Life™ will become a LTC solution for many who otherwise don’t have access due to the repeal of the CLASS Act in January –the unsustainable LTC bill that was passed with the Affordable Care Act.
Tom Smith is the founder of Voluntary Benefits of America, LLC, and was motivated to develop http://www.EnrollForLife.com after receiving an unexpected letter in 2011; review his story at http://www.enrollforlife.com/founder.html.
VBA is the developer of the http://www.HighLowOrNo.com enrollment platform and distributes its services through insurance brokers, consultants and carriers. Additional information is available at http://www.enrollforlife.com or by calling 877-752-1115.
1. WSJ, Planning and Living the New Retirement Report. 6/11/12
2. America’s Health Insurance Plans, “Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance,” 2004. Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.
Nashville, TN (PRWEB) September 22, 2013
Enroll For Life™ will host life insurance products that accomplish two goals; 1) provide a permanent death benefit, and 2) provide Long Term Care benefits. Most HR directors and consultants have long known that employer provided group life plans are designed to provide death benefits during an employee's working years. This creates a problem for the employee who desires to continue life insurance after employment. Life Insurance benefits provided by an employer can often end when an employee leaves employment. Employees can discover that after employment, life insurance coverage is expensive or even unavailable if a person has health issues. This leaves many without coverage when it is needed most. This can be especially troubling for the employee who wishes to continue life insurance into retirement since 61% of males and 71% of females age 65 will live until age 80.(1)
VBA believes Enroll For Life™ offers an enrollment solution by providing insurance that an employee can continue after retirement or leaving a job. Features of hosted products will include; life premiums guaranteed never to increase, coverage lasting a lifetime, limited or no medical underwriting, and an advancement of the death benefit for Long Term Care. Employees can enroll online or interact with a licensed professional via telephone or at the worksite.
Long term care planning is increasingly important because of an aging population.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a 65-year-old person has at least a 40% risk of entering a nursing home at some point.(2)
Enroll For Life™ will become a LTC solution for many who otherwise don’t have access due to the repeal of the CLASS Act in January –the unsustainable LTC bill that was passed with the Affordable Care Act.
Tom Smith is the founder of Voluntary Benefits of America, LLC, and was motivated to develop http://www.EnrollForLife.com after receiving an unexpected letter in 2011; review his story at http://www.enrollforlife.com/founder.html.
VBA is the developer of the http://www.HighLowOrNo.com enrollment platform and distributes its services through insurance brokers, consultants and carriers. Additional information is available at http://www.enrollforlife.com or by calling 877-752-1115.
1. WSJ, Planning and Living the New Retirement Report. 6/11/12
2. America’s Health Insurance Plans, “Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance,” 2004. Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.
↧
↧
RxAnte’s Newest Product, RxEffect™, Helps Health Plans Better Engage Health Care Providers in Medication Quality Improvement
RxAnte, Inc, today announced the general availability of RxEffect™, the newest application of its patent-pending predictive analytics and decision support suite of products. Already in use in nearly 600 physicians practices across 20 states, RxEffect helps health plans, PBMs, delivery systems, and community pharmacies engage with health care providers to improve medication use in their populations.
McLean, VA (PRWEB) September 22, 2013
RxAnte, Inc, today announced the general availability of RxEffect™, the newest application of its patent-pending predictive analytics and decision support suite of products. Health plans, PBMs, delivery systems, and community pharmacies use RxEffect to engage with health care providers to improve medication use in their populations.It delivers timely, practical action steps for each high-priority patient directly to physician practices and community pharmacies, minimizing data and incentive barriers that have historically inhibited effective provider engagement for medication quality outcomes.
“Health plans and PBMs have a lot of options for delivering their own direct-to-member communications regarding medication outcomes. However, some patients at elevated risks of suboptimal outcomes need active, prevention-oriented engagement by their own trusted health care professionals: doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. We built RxEffect to identify the patients who most need support, and then deliver targeted, timely information to the health care providers who are best positioned to provide that support,” said Aaron McKethan, PhD, senior vice president, strategy and business development for RxAnte.
RxEffect is different from traditional pay-for-performance methods and health care quality dashboards that offer providers too much information on behalf of too many patients, small incentives, and no practical action steps to help providers engage patients for better outcomes. Utilizing RxAnte’s analytics tools, RxEffect accurately predicts the subsets of patients who most need support, and then delivers patient-specific decision support for relevant physician practices in near real time. In addition, the secure web-based tool facilitates timely and informed patient outreach, offers tracking and benchmarking tools, and facilitates two-way communication with physician practices and community pharmacies.
“Most pay-for-performance programs offer physician practices very small incentives in exchange for delivering extra support to large panels of patients,” McKethan said. “Because we can identify the subsets of patients whose future adherence is at risk before they become non-adherent, we can help health plans give their health care providers the information they need to engage patients on a more targeted, personalized, and effective basis.”
RxAnte began piloting this new offering with a large national health plan in July 2013. Since its inception, over 3,000 unique prescribers from nearly 600 physician practices across over 20 states are actively using RxEffect.
To set up a media interview with an RxAnte leader, contact Leigh Canavan at (703) 677-6459. RxAnte will also be showcasing RxEffect at America’s Health Insurance Plans’ Medicare and Medicaid Conferences in Washington, DC September 22-26, 2013 in booth #26.
###
About RxAnte
RxAnte is a health technology company with an innovative analytics platform that is transforming how organizations work with health care professionals, care management intervention providers, and patients to improve the use of safe and effective prescription medications. Created by subject matter experts in medication adherence, health IT, and advanced analytics, the “RxAnte System” is a patent-pending process that includes predictive and decision analytics, advanced evaluation methods, and an innovative platform for provider engagement. Learn more at http://www.rxante.com or follow us on Twitter. Reported by PRWeb 19 hours ago.
McLean, VA (PRWEB) September 22, 2013
RxAnte, Inc, today announced the general availability of RxEffect™, the newest application of its patent-pending predictive analytics and decision support suite of products. Health plans, PBMs, delivery systems, and community pharmacies use RxEffect to engage with health care providers to improve medication use in their populations.It delivers timely, practical action steps for each high-priority patient directly to physician practices and community pharmacies, minimizing data and incentive barriers that have historically inhibited effective provider engagement for medication quality outcomes.
“Health plans and PBMs have a lot of options for delivering their own direct-to-member communications regarding medication outcomes. However, some patients at elevated risks of suboptimal outcomes need active, prevention-oriented engagement by their own trusted health care professionals: doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. We built RxEffect to identify the patients who most need support, and then deliver targeted, timely information to the health care providers who are best positioned to provide that support,” said Aaron McKethan, PhD, senior vice president, strategy and business development for RxAnte.
RxEffect is different from traditional pay-for-performance methods and health care quality dashboards that offer providers too much information on behalf of too many patients, small incentives, and no practical action steps to help providers engage patients for better outcomes. Utilizing RxAnte’s analytics tools, RxEffect accurately predicts the subsets of patients who most need support, and then delivers patient-specific decision support for relevant physician practices in near real time. In addition, the secure web-based tool facilitates timely and informed patient outreach, offers tracking and benchmarking tools, and facilitates two-way communication with physician practices and community pharmacies.
“Most pay-for-performance programs offer physician practices very small incentives in exchange for delivering extra support to large panels of patients,” McKethan said. “Because we can identify the subsets of patients whose future adherence is at risk before they become non-adherent, we can help health plans give their health care providers the information they need to engage patients on a more targeted, personalized, and effective basis.”
RxAnte began piloting this new offering with a large national health plan in July 2013. Since its inception, over 3,000 unique prescribers from nearly 600 physician practices across over 20 states are actively using RxEffect.
To set up a media interview with an RxAnte leader, contact Leigh Canavan at (703) 677-6459. RxAnte will also be showcasing RxEffect at America’s Health Insurance Plans’ Medicare and Medicaid Conferences in Washington, DC September 22-26, 2013 in booth #26.
###
About RxAnte
RxAnte is a health technology company with an innovative analytics platform that is transforming how organizations work with health care professionals, care management intervention providers, and patients to improve the use of safe and effective prescription medications. Created by subject matter experts in medication adherence, health IT, and advanced analytics, the “RxAnte System” is a patent-pending process that includes predictive and decision analytics, advanced evaluation methods, and an innovative platform for provider engagement. Learn more at http://www.rxante.com or follow us on Twitter. Reported by PRWeb 19 hours ago.
↧
Navigators fan out to teach about health changes
Representatives of the new Vermont Health Connect exchange will be fanning out across the state in the coming weeks to talk to residents and small business owners about the new health insurance system.
Reported by Miami Herald 12 hours ago.
↧
Zane Benefits Publishes New Information on Choosing an Individual Health Insurance Plan
Six Tips for Choosing the Right Individual Health Insurance Plan
Park City, utah (PRWEB) September 22, 2013
Today, Zane Benefits, the number one online small business health benefits solution, published new information on choosing an individual health insurance plan.
According to Zane Benefits’ website, ObamaCare introduces four new health reforms that encourage more people than ever to purchase their own individual health insurance, without involvement from an employer.
The four new reforms coming in 2014, that will "push" millions of Americans into the individual health insurance market, are:
Individual Mandate: requires nearly all US citizens to be covered under health insurance, or pay an annual tax penalty.
Individual Health Insurance Marketplaces: online marketplaces where individuals can purchase an individual or family health insurance plan. The marketplaces will be the only place where consumers can access health insurance discounts via the health insurance tax subsidies.
Health Insurance Tax Subsidies: Tax credits granted on premiums to help make individual health insurance premiums more affordable. You will be eligible for the discounts if you meet certain income requirements and do not have access to employer-sponsored coverage or through a government program
Guaranteed-Issue Individual Health Plans: Starting in 2014, all individual health insurance plans cannot deny or charge more for premiums because of medical history.
Here are six tips when researching different plans through the individual health insurance marketplaces:
1. Understand the Categories of Coverage
2. All plans Will Offer Essential Health Benefits
3. Estimated the Amount and Cost of Care You'll Need
4. Review the Network of Providers
5. Not all Plans in the Same Tier Are Identical
6. Work with a Health Insurance Agent
Click here to read the full article.
--
About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 to provide a revolutionized SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) administration platform ("ZaneHRA") for defined contribution health care. The flagship software provides a 100% paperless administration experience to small businesses and insurance professionals that want to offer better health benefits without a traditional group health insurance plan at lower costs. For more information about Zane Benefits, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 12 hours ago.
Park City, utah (PRWEB) September 22, 2013
Today, Zane Benefits, the number one online small business health benefits solution, published new information on choosing an individual health insurance plan.
According to Zane Benefits’ website, ObamaCare introduces four new health reforms that encourage more people than ever to purchase their own individual health insurance, without involvement from an employer.
The four new reforms coming in 2014, that will "push" millions of Americans into the individual health insurance market, are:
Individual Mandate: requires nearly all US citizens to be covered under health insurance, or pay an annual tax penalty.
Individual Health Insurance Marketplaces: online marketplaces where individuals can purchase an individual or family health insurance plan. The marketplaces will be the only place where consumers can access health insurance discounts via the health insurance tax subsidies.
Health Insurance Tax Subsidies: Tax credits granted on premiums to help make individual health insurance premiums more affordable. You will be eligible for the discounts if you meet certain income requirements and do not have access to employer-sponsored coverage or through a government program
Guaranteed-Issue Individual Health Plans: Starting in 2014, all individual health insurance plans cannot deny or charge more for premiums because of medical history.
Here are six tips when researching different plans through the individual health insurance marketplaces:
1. Understand the Categories of Coverage
2. All plans Will Offer Essential Health Benefits
3. Estimated the Amount and Cost of Care You'll Need
4. Review the Network of Providers
5. Not all Plans in the Same Tier Are Identical
6. Work with a Health Insurance Agent
Click here to read the full article.
--
About Zane Benefits
Zane Benefits was founded in 2006 to provide a revolutionized SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) administration platform ("ZaneHRA") for defined contribution health care. The flagship software provides a 100% paperless administration experience to small businesses and insurance professionals that want to offer better health benefits without a traditional group health insurance plan at lower costs. For more information about Zane Benefits, visit http://www.zanebenefits.com. Reported by PRWeb 12 hours ago.
↧
House Democrats Raise Big Money Off Republican Push To 'Defund Obamacare'
WASHINGTON -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised more than $840,000 in online contributions since House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced last week that Republicans would include a measure to strip funding from the Affordable Care Act in a continuing resolution to fund the federal government.
The House Democratic party committee launched an online petition and blasted its large list of supporters for contributions to fight back against House Republicans immediately after Boehner's Tuesday announcement.
The DCCC's blast emails attacked House Republicans' "extortion tactics" and their "complete cave to Tea Party Republicans." Supporters were asked to donate $3 to the DCCC's ObamaCare Rapid Response Fund.
By Sunday morning, two days after Republicans successfully passed a continuing budget resolution that would defund the health care law, the petition had more than 1 million signatures and the committee received 46,000 online donations, according to a DCCC aide. The average donation was $18.
“From the moment John Boehner and House Republicans announced that they would put this country on a path to shutdown -- all so they could give insurance companies free rein, our grassroots supporters jumped into action," DCCC press secretary Emily Bittner said in a statement. "Every time House Republicans demonstrate their priorities -- protecting the wealthy, padding health insurance profits and forcing the middle class to pay more -- our grassroots steps up.”
In the past two months, Republican groups have done their own fundraising off their push to defund President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law. The Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee tied to Heritage Foundation president and former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, had its best off-election year fundraising month ever in August while running its "Don't Fund Obamacare" website.
This week's fundraising swell for the DCCC is comparable to two of its best online fundraising spurts in recent memory: the unveiling of the budget presented by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), and the week Ryan was announced as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate.
While the push to defund Obamacare has been a boon to fundraising on both sides, it's unlikely to go much further. Senate Democrats, who control the chamber, will not approve or even bring a bill to the floor that would defund the health care law, and Obama slammed the effort while threatening a veto. Even Senate Republicans, including the voice of Obamacare opposition Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), have said the measure is going nowhere. Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.
The House Democratic party committee launched an online petition and blasted its large list of supporters for contributions to fight back against House Republicans immediately after Boehner's Tuesday announcement.
The DCCC's blast emails attacked House Republicans' "extortion tactics" and their "complete cave to Tea Party Republicans." Supporters were asked to donate $3 to the DCCC's ObamaCare Rapid Response Fund.
By Sunday morning, two days after Republicans successfully passed a continuing budget resolution that would defund the health care law, the petition had more than 1 million signatures and the committee received 46,000 online donations, according to a DCCC aide. The average donation was $18.
“From the moment John Boehner and House Republicans announced that they would put this country on a path to shutdown -- all so they could give insurance companies free rein, our grassroots supporters jumped into action," DCCC press secretary Emily Bittner said in a statement. "Every time House Republicans demonstrate their priorities -- protecting the wealthy, padding health insurance profits and forcing the middle class to pay more -- our grassroots steps up.”
In the past two months, Republican groups have done their own fundraising off their push to defund President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law. The Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee tied to Heritage Foundation president and former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, had its best off-election year fundraising month ever in August while running its "Don't Fund Obamacare" website.
This week's fundraising swell for the DCCC is comparable to two of its best online fundraising spurts in recent memory: the unveiling of the budget presented by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), and the week Ryan was announced as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate.
While the push to defund Obamacare has been a boon to fundraising on both sides, it's unlikely to go much further. Senate Democrats, who control the chamber, will not approve or even bring a bill to the floor that would defund the health care law, and Obama slammed the effort while threatening a veto. Even Senate Republicans, including the voice of Obamacare opposition Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), have said the measure is going nowhere. Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.
↧
↧
Chris Van Hollen Reminds Republicans Their Budget Includes Savings From Obamacare
WASHINGTON -- Days after House Republicans voted nearly unanimously for a measure to defund Obamacare, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) reminded them of one little detail: Their own budget relies on savings from President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law.
During an appearance on ABC's "This Week," Van Hollen, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said Republicans owe the public an explanation for how they can regularly vote to get rid of the Affordable Care Act -- they have now voted 42 times to repeal or defund it -- when they passed a budget that balances in part because of Obamacare savings.
Republicans "have to explain to the American people how they voted for a budget that includes all of the Medicare savings from Obamacare, that includes the same level of revenue generated from Obamacare and, in fact, would not even balance in 10 years, if not for the Affordable Care Act," Van Hollen said.
"That's misleading and that's a hoax," he added.
Van Hollen was joined on the show by Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.), who authored the bill the House passed last week that would permanently defund Obamacare. Graves responded by turning to the fact that the health care law still isn't popular with the public. A recent ABC/Washington Post poll found that 52 percent of Americans remain opposed to the law, compared to 42 percent who support it.
"I mean, it's clear that I was in my district during August, listening to my constituents -- " Graves began, but was interrupted by Van Hollen.
"I asked a question about the budget, Tom," he said. "You guys passed a budget that assumes big parts of Obamacare are kept."
When Graves said the GOP budget also assumed Obamacare wouldn't be in effect, Van Hollen pointed out that wasn't the case.
"You assume all the Medicare savings in your budget," he said.
While it wouldn't keep every aspect of the health care law in place, the budget authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) does rely on Obamacare's $716 billion in cuts to Medicare and maintains its $1.2 trillion tax increase.
Graves again tried to reframe the issue, saying that Van Hollen had voted to impose a 25 percent increase in health insurance premiums on his constituents by voting against the Republican bill to defund Obamacare. Van Hollen again brought the focus back to Republicans' reliance on Obamacare savings.
"You guys don't want to provide affordable care under this system for millions of Americans, but you have a plan to take millions of people in Medicare and put them into the Obamacare system," he said. "That's what you're proposing to do." Reported by Huffington Post 9 hours ago.
During an appearance on ABC's "This Week," Van Hollen, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said Republicans owe the public an explanation for how they can regularly vote to get rid of the Affordable Care Act -- they have now voted 42 times to repeal or defund it -- when they passed a budget that balances in part because of Obamacare savings.
Republicans "have to explain to the American people how they voted for a budget that includes all of the Medicare savings from Obamacare, that includes the same level of revenue generated from Obamacare and, in fact, would not even balance in 10 years, if not for the Affordable Care Act," Van Hollen said.
"That's misleading and that's a hoax," he added.
Van Hollen was joined on the show by Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.), who authored the bill the House passed last week that would permanently defund Obamacare. Graves responded by turning to the fact that the health care law still isn't popular with the public. A recent ABC/Washington Post poll found that 52 percent of Americans remain opposed to the law, compared to 42 percent who support it.
"I mean, it's clear that I was in my district during August, listening to my constituents -- " Graves began, but was interrupted by Van Hollen.
"I asked a question about the budget, Tom," he said. "You guys passed a budget that assumes big parts of Obamacare are kept."
When Graves said the GOP budget also assumed Obamacare wouldn't be in effect, Van Hollen pointed out that wasn't the case.
"You assume all the Medicare savings in your budget," he said.
While it wouldn't keep every aspect of the health care law in place, the budget authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) does rely on Obamacare's $716 billion in cuts to Medicare and maintains its $1.2 trillion tax increase.
Graves again tried to reframe the issue, saying that Van Hollen had voted to impose a 25 percent increase in health insurance premiums on his constituents by voting against the Republican bill to defund Obamacare. Van Hollen again brought the focus back to Republicans' reliance on Obamacare savings.
"You guys don't want to provide affordable care under this system for millions of Americans, but you have a plan to take millions of people in Medicare and put them into the Obamacare system," he said. "That's what you're proposing to do." Reported by Huffington Post 9 hours ago.
↧
Affordable Care Act In California Will Offer Health Insurance Beginning Oct.1
Come Oct. 1, more than 5 million Californians will be eligible to purchase health plans from competing companies as part of a federal health care reform package known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
California was the first state to create a health benefit exchange and in May, Covered California, a five-member board appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislators, unveiled the 12 health insurers who have agreed to be part of the marketplace, including the state's largest such as Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente.
Since then, Californians have been able to view and compare costs under tiered policies known as the "precious metals plans." They include Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum -- each providing different levels of out-of-pocket costs, based on income. The plans listed are for individual coverage.
Covered California's executive director Peter Lee has said his goal is to make buying an insurance policy "as easy as buying a book on Amazon."
And it has to be that easy because if California succeeds in enrolling a large swath of the uninsured by Jan. 1, the Affordable Care Act will succeed in America, experts have said.
"There hasn't been a comprehensive reform like this since Medicare and Medicaid's creation, so I would say Oct. 1. -- the beginning of open enrollment -- and Jan. 1 -- the beginning of Medi-Cal and Exchange coverage -- will be a big milestone in reaching universal coverage," said Dylan Roby, assistant professor of health policy and management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Of the 5.3 million Californians eligible for coverage under Covered California, roughly 2.6 million may be eligible for tax subsidies to help pay for health care coverage. Those subsidies will be available for individuals earning up to $46,000 and for families with incomes of up to $94,200. Although consumers can purchase insurance directly from brokers, only those who go through the exchange are eligible for the subsidies.
Range of plans available
In Los Angeles County, for example, an estimated 780,000 are eligible for subsidies through the exchange. In San Bernardino County, at least 341,000 people qualify.
For those who don't qualify for subsidies, Covered California provides a rate chart so that those who live in Southern Los Angeles County, who are 40 years old, for example, can consider a range of plans offered by Health Net, Anthem, Molina Healthcare, L.A. Care, Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente.
At the Platinum level, a consumer can pay from $311 to $429 a month. Under the Bronze level, the range would be $204 to $301. The Platinum level provides the lowest deductible and co-pays, but it comes with higher premiums. In contrast, the Bronze plan includes a higher deductible but a significantly lower premium.
All plans cover the 10 basic health benefits, including ambulatory care, hospitalization, prescription drugs, laboratory services and pediatric care.
But Roby also said those who already carry insurance shouldn't be fooled into thinking they can't buy on the exchange. He said a message that pops up on the cost calculator on the Covered California site is misleading.
"The cost calculator is really good and is easy to navigate with the actual premium and the subsidy premium presented in a clear way," Roby said.
"My one problem with their cost calculator now is that it states: 'Before you get started: If you currently receive affordable health insurance through an employer or public program, unfortunately, you can't buy insurance through Covered California. Covered California is primarily designed to help individual Californians get coverage, many of whom will get financial help'."
That is technically incorrect, Roby said.
"While people who are offered affordable coverage through an employer or Medi-Cal are not allowed to use subsidies to buy coverage, they and everyone else except the undocumented are allowed to purchase coverage through the exchange at full price," Roby said.
"Given the excellent prices and value plans available in the exchange, it may be an option for people who are offered coverage they don't like or want through their employer."
Plenty of information available
To help people better understand the exchange, Californians for Patient Care, a nonprofit organization that works to help people find access to health care, has compiled a guide called "Healthcare Coverage 2014: Five Things Californians Should Know" on its website, Calpatientcare.org.
Consumers need to be prepared and to anticipate and assess their health needs before buying, said Carmella Gutierrez, president of Californians for Patient Care.
"Do they have chronic health needs? Will they have children? Is there a hospital or provider that they prefer?" she said. "It's important to prepare all those needs."
And she said people need to understand their budget limitations.
"People are going to have to budget for an ongoing expense," Gutierrez said. "We want to educate people to what those costs will be."
Gutierrez also recommends that consumers have documents, such as income tax returns, ready before they fill out information.
"The biggest fear that people have is that they won't be able to afford insurance," Gutierrez said. "What we want people to do is to go on CoveredCA.com, view the calculator icon, get a rough estimate."
When it was signed into law by President Obama in 2010, the Affordable Care Act included several provisions that would protect Americans, including prohibiting insurance providers from rejecting clients for pre-existing illnesses. It also allowed parents to include their children up to age 26 on their health insurance policy.
For nearly half the population there aren't a lot of changes coming to their health coverage because of the Affordable Care Act, said Nicole Evans, spokeswoman for the California Association of Health Plans.
"If they have government coverage like Medicare, Medi-Cal, if they work for the government, there are not a lot of changes for those programs," she said.
But there is no guarantee premiums won't rise, she and others have said, and that has to do with the cost of medical care.
"What we still need to address is affordability," Evans said. "The underlying medical costs that drive up premiums hasn't been addressed yet. There's lots of advances in technology used in hospitals. These are among many factors driving up medical casts. Premiums need to reflect the cost of care. As the cost of care increases, the premiums need to reflect that."
Patrick Johnston, president and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans, has praised Covered California and participating insurers, but has also said that while many people are going to see a lower premium and help with subsidies, there will be those who will see some increases, especially younger people who don't visit doctors as frequently. They offset the costs from older patients who need health care more.
"The Affordable Care Act is a balancing act, seeking to spread costs by enrolling the young and old, sick and healthy, lower and higher income earners," Johnston has said. "The subsidies will also enable many Californians to pay less for more extensive coverage than they had before."
(c)2013 the Daily News (Los Angeles)
Visit the Daily News (Los Angeles) at www.dailynews.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services Reported by Huffington Post 7 hours ago.
California was the first state to create a health benefit exchange and in May, Covered California, a five-member board appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislators, unveiled the 12 health insurers who have agreed to be part of the marketplace, including the state's largest such as Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente.
Since then, Californians have been able to view and compare costs under tiered policies known as the "precious metals plans." They include Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum -- each providing different levels of out-of-pocket costs, based on income. The plans listed are for individual coverage.
Covered California's executive director Peter Lee has said his goal is to make buying an insurance policy "as easy as buying a book on Amazon."
And it has to be that easy because if California succeeds in enrolling a large swath of the uninsured by Jan. 1, the Affordable Care Act will succeed in America, experts have said.
"There hasn't been a comprehensive reform like this since Medicare and Medicaid's creation, so I would say Oct. 1. -- the beginning of open enrollment -- and Jan. 1 -- the beginning of Medi-Cal and Exchange coverage -- will be a big milestone in reaching universal coverage," said Dylan Roby, assistant professor of health policy and management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Of the 5.3 million Californians eligible for coverage under Covered California, roughly 2.6 million may be eligible for tax subsidies to help pay for health care coverage. Those subsidies will be available for individuals earning up to $46,000 and for families with incomes of up to $94,200. Although consumers can purchase insurance directly from brokers, only those who go through the exchange are eligible for the subsidies.
Range of plans available
In Los Angeles County, for example, an estimated 780,000 are eligible for subsidies through the exchange. In San Bernardino County, at least 341,000 people qualify.
For those who don't qualify for subsidies, Covered California provides a rate chart so that those who live in Southern Los Angeles County, who are 40 years old, for example, can consider a range of plans offered by Health Net, Anthem, Molina Healthcare, L.A. Care, Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente.
At the Platinum level, a consumer can pay from $311 to $429 a month. Under the Bronze level, the range would be $204 to $301. The Platinum level provides the lowest deductible and co-pays, but it comes with higher premiums. In contrast, the Bronze plan includes a higher deductible but a significantly lower premium.
All plans cover the 10 basic health benefits, including ambulatory care, hospitalization, prescription drugs, laboratory services and pediatric care.
But Roby also said those who already carry insurance shouldn't be fooled into thinking they can't buy on the exchange. He said a message that pops up on the cost calculator on the Covered California site is misleading.
"The cost calculator is really good and is easy to navigate with the actual premium and the subsidy premium presented in a clear way," Roby said.
"My one problem with their cost calculator now is that it states: 'Before you get started: If you currently receive affordable health insurance through an employer or public program, unfortunately, you can't buy insurance through Covered California. Covered California is primarily designed to help individual Californians get coverage, many of whom will get financial help'."
That is technically incorrect, Roby said.
"While people who are offered affordable coverage through an employer or Medi-Cal are not allowed to use subsidies to buy coverage, they and everyone else except the undocumented are allowed to purchase coverage through the exchange at full price," Roby said.
"Given the excellent prices and value plans available in the exchange, it may be an option for people who are offered coverage they don't like or want through their employer."
Plenty of information available
To help people better understand the exchange, Californians for Patient Care, a nonprofit organization that works to help people find access to health care, has compiled a guide called "Healthcare Coverage 2014: Five Things Californians Should Know" on its website, Calpatientcare.org.
Consumers need to be prepared and to anticipate and assess their health needs before buying, said Carmella Gutierrez, president of Californians for Patient Care.
"Do they have chronic health needs? Will they have children? Is there a hospital or provider that they prefer?" she said. "It's important to prepare all those needs."
And she said people need to understand their budget limitations.
"People are going to have to budget for an ongoing expense," Gutierrez said. "We want to educate people to what those costs will be."
Gutierrez also recommends that consumers have documents, such as income tax returns, ready before they fill out information.
"The biggest fear that people have is that they won't be able to afford insurance," Gutierrez said. "What we want people to do is to go on CoveredCA.com, view the calculator icon, get a rough estimate."
When it was signed into law by President Obama in 2010, the Affordable Care Act included several provisions that would protect Americans, including prohibiting insurance providers from rejecting clients for pre-existing illnesses. It also allowed parents to include their children up to age 26 on their health insurance policy.
For nearly half the population there aren't a lot of changes coming to their health coverage because of the Affordable Care Act, said Nicole Evans, spokeswoman for the California Association of Health Plans.
"If they have government coverage like Medicare, Medi-Cal, if they work for the government, there are not a lot of changes for those programs," she said.
But there is no guarantee premiums won't rise, she and others have said, and that has to do with the cost of medical care.
"What we still need to address is affordability," Evans said. "The underlying medical costs that drive up premiums hasn't been addressed yet. There's lots of advances in technology used in hospitals. These are among many factors driving up medical casts. Premiums need to reflect the cost of care. As the cost of care increases, the premiums need to reflect that."
Patrick Johnston, president and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans, has praised Covered California and participating insurers, but has also said that while many people are going to see a lower premium and help with subsidies, there will be those who will see some increases, especially younger people who don't visit doctors as frequently. They offset the costs from older patients who need health care more.
"The Affordable Care Act is a balancing act, seeking to spread costs by enrolling the young and old, sick and healthy, lower and higher income earners," Johnston has said. "The subsidies will also enable many Californians to pay less for more extensive coverage than they had before."
(c)2013 the Daily News (Los Angeles)
Visit the Daily News (Los Angeles) at www.dailynews.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services Reported by Huffington Post 7 hours ago.
↧
The 10 Richest States In America: 24/7 Wall St.
* From 24/7 Wall St. *
Last year, household income remained effectively unchanged, according to data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is despite the fact that the U.S. added nearly 2.2 million jobs in 2012.
“The big story is that everything was stagnant over the year” said Economic Policy Institute’s Elise Gould. “We’re stagnant, and continue to be in a bad place.”
While the economy continues to struggle, residents in the wealthiest states continue to make far more than in the poorest. In 2012, Maryland remained the richest state in the country, with a median household income of $71,221. Mississippi was again the poorest, with an income of $37,095 — nearly half that of Maryland’s.
Despite the addition of jobs nationwide, median incomes remained stagnant in most states and were still generally below their 2008 levels, adjusted for inflation. Sheldon Danziger, president of the Russell Sage Foundation, explained that this has been the nature of the recovery. “We have an economy that continues to grow, with most of the gains going to the economic elite. I don’t see any bright prospects for the median worker, much less the poor.”
States with lower median incomes generally had much higher rates of poverty than the national rate. All of the 10 states with the lowest median income in 2012 also had among the highest poverty rates in the country. While 15.9% of Americans fell below the poverty line in 2012, nearly one in four Mississippians did.
Employment is one of the biggest factors affecting income. In some states with lower unemployment, a higher share of the households had steady income, which bolsters the state’s median. In many of the highest-income states, like New Hampshire, Minnesota and Hawaii, unemployment in 2012 was less than 6%, compared to a national rate of 8.1%.
Elise Gould, Director of Health Policy for Economic Policy Institute, explained that unemployment rates can have a significant effect on a state’s household income. “When we’re talking about average families and poor families, the vast majority of income comes from wages. So it’s about jobs.” Gould cautioned, however, that unemployment rates do not tell the full story.
Unemployment rates, for example, ignore those people who have given up looking for work or accept part-time work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while 8.1% of American workers were unemployed in 2012, 14.7% were underemployed, meaning they wanted to work full time but could not. This was an increase from roughly 10% in 2008.
The types of jobs available in each state also affect income. A review of Census Bureau industry composition data shows that people in most of the states with a higher median income were often more likely to be employed in information, finance, professional and other positions that tend to pay higher salaries. Maryland, the wealthiest state in the country, had the highest percentage of workers in professional, scientific and management positions.
At the same time, many of the low-income states had smaller percentages of these professional occupations and higher rates of employment in retail, manufacturing and transportation. The high proportion of manufacturing jobs in low-income states might be surprising, but, explained Danziger, the makeup of the manufacturing industry in the country has changed.
“There’s a difference between unionized auto company workers and non-unionized parts suppliers,” Danziger said. “Even when manufacturers haven’t cut wages, they are adopting labor-saving technological change.”
To identify the states with the highest and lowest median household income, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed state data on income from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey (ACS). Based on Census treatment, median household income for all years is adjusted for inflation. We also reviewed unemployment data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2012, as well as 2012 ACS data on health insurance coverage, employment and poverty.
Here are America's richest states, according to 24/7 Wall St. Reported by Huffington Post 5 hours ago.
Last year, household income remained effectively unchanged, according to data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is despite the fact that the U.S. added nearly 2.2 million jobs in 2012.
“The big story is that everything was stagnant over the year” said Economic Policy Institute’s Elise Gould. “We’re stagnant, and continue to be in a bad place.”
While the economy continues to struggle, residents in the wealthiest states continue to make far more than in the poorest. In 2012, Maryland remained the richest state in the country, with a median household income of $71,221. Mississippi was again the poorest, with an income of $37,095 — nearly half that of Maryland’s.
Despite the addition of jobs nationwide, median incomes remained stagnant in most states and were still generally below their 2008 levels, adjusted for inflation. Sheldon Danziger, president of the Russell Sage Foundation, explained that this has been the nature of the recovery. “We have an economy that continues to grow, with most of the gains going to the economic elite. I don’t see any bright prospects for the median worker, much less the poor.”
States with lower median incomes generally had much higher rates of poverty than the national rate. All of the 10 states with the lowest median income in 2012 also had among the highest poverty rates in the country. While 15.9% of Americans fell below the poverty line in 2012, nearly one in four Mississippians did.
Employment is one of the biggest factors affecting income. In some states with lower unemployment, a higher share of the households had steady income, which bolsters the state’s median. In many of the highest-income states, like New Hampshire, Minnesota and Hawaii, unemployment in 2012 was less than 6%, compared to a national rate of 8.1%.
Elise Gould, Director of Health Policy for Economic Policy Institute, explained that unemployment rates can have a significant effect on a state’s household income. “When we’re talking about average families and poor families, the vast majority of income comes from wages. So it’s about jobs.” Gould cautioned, however, that unemployment rates do not tell the full story.
Unemployment rates, for example, ignore those people who have given up looking for work or accept part-time work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while 8.1% of American workers were unemployed in 2012, 14.7% were underemployed, meaning they wanted to work full time but could not. This was an increase from roughly 10% in 2008.
The types of jobs available in each state also affect income. A review of Census Bureau industry composition data shows that people in most of the states with a higher median income were often more likely to be employed in information, finance, professional and other positions that tend to pay higher salaries. Maryland, the wealthiest state in the country, had the highest percentage of workers in professional, scientific and management positions.
At the same time, many of the low-income states had smaller percentages of these professional occupations and higher rates of employment in retail, manufacturing and transportation. The high proportion of manufacturing jobs in low-income states might be surprising, but, explained Danziger, the makeup of the manufacturing industry in the country has changed.
“There’s a difference between unionized auto company workers and non-unionized parts suppliers,” Danziger said. “Even when manufacturers haven’t cut wages, they are adopting labor-saving technological change.”
To identify the states with the highest and lowest median household income, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed state data on income from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey (ACS). Based on Census treatment, median household income for all years is adjusted for inflation. We also reviewed unemployment data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2012, as well as 2012 ACS data on health insurance coverage, employment and poverty.
Here are America's richest states, according to 24/7 Wall St. Reported by Huffington Post 5 hours ago.
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
