LANSING, Mich. (AP) — One of 10 Michigan insurers planning to sell health insurance on the federal marketplace in 2018 no longer will do so. Health Alliance Plan said Friday the move affects about 9,100 people. It says it’s leaving because of uncertainties related to premium stabilization programs, enforcement of the requirement to have insurance […]
Reported by Seattle Times 11 hours ago.
Insurer leaves health market; navigators get notice of cuts
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Anthem plans to reenter Virginia insurance market
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginians are no longer at risk of not being able to buy health insurance on their own and not through an employer next year. Health insurer Anthem announced Friday that it is reversing a decision to pull out of federal health law’s insurance marketplace and offer plans in 68 cities and […]
Reported by Seattle Times 10 hours ago.
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Economic Report Masks Persistent Hardship and Inequities in Illinois
Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that poverty in Illinois decreased from 2015 to 2016, aligning with national trends, but despite this improvement, poverty in Illinois remains stubbornly high. Heartland Alliance has created a fact sheet that looks at how poverty and income have changed in the Chicago and Illinois area.
(PRWEB) September 15, 2017
Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that poverty in Illinois decreased from 2015 to 2016, aligning with national trends. Despite this improvement, poverty in Illinois remains stubbornly high—13.0% compared to 11.9% in 2007 before the recession. This is in contrast to national trends that showed that U.S. poverty rates overall returned to pre-recession levels. In addition to the decrease in the poverty rate, the data found that health insurance coverage reached record levels in Illinois.
After a more than two-year long impasse, Illinois passed a state budget in August, but the burden and consequences of the stalemate still impacts millions of Illinoisans in poverty. The resulting loss of services that help connect people to work, ensure low-income workers can access child care, provide MAP grants for students seeking an education, and help survivors of violence recover will make it much more difficult for people to meet their basic needs and move out of poverty.
Read Heartland Alliance's fact sheet on Illinois and Chicago region poverty, income, and health insurance trends based on the newly released data.
This new information also revealed:· Illinois poverty declined from 2015 to 2016 and is now at 13.0%. The poverty rate is still 1.1 percentage points above its pre-recession 2007 level of 11.9%.
· Extreme poverty—having income below half the poverty line—also declined in Illinois and is now at 5.9%. 739,000 Illinoisans are extremely poor.
· Bucking national trends of income growth, income levels are stagnant in Illinois: Illinois median household income in 2016 was $60,960, which is not significantly different from 2015. Income is still 4% below its pre-recession 2007 level.
· The rate of non-seniors in Illinois who are uninsured fell to 7.4%, a 0.7 percentage point decline from 2015 and a dramatic decline of 6.8 percentage points from 2008. 801,000 non-seniors remain uninsured.
For more information and to get comment and analysis from Heartland Alliance experts, read the attached press release. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
(PRWEB) September 15, 2017
Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that poverty in Illinois decreased from 2015 to 2016, aligning with national trends. Despite this improvement, poverty in Illinois remains stubbornly high—13.0% compared to 11.9% in 2007 before the recession. This is in contrast to national trends that showed that U.S. poverty rates overall returned to pre-recession levels. In addition to the decrease in the poverty rate, the data found that health insurance coverage reached record levels in Illinois.
After a more than two-year long impasse, Illinois passed a state budget in August, but the burden and consequences of the stalemate still impacts millions of Illinoisans in poverty. The resulting loss of services that help connect people to work, ensure low-income workers can access child care, provide MAP grants for students seeking an education, and help survivors of violence recover will make it much more difficult for people to meet their basic needs and move out of poverty.
Read Heartland Alliance's fact sheet on Illinois and Chicago region poverty, income, and health insurance trends based on the newly released data.
This new information also revealed:· Illinois poverty declined from 2015 to 2016 and is now at 13.0%. The poverty rate is still 1.1 percentage points above its pre-recession 2007 level of 11.9%.
· Extreme poverty—having income below half the poverty line—also declined in Illinois and is now at 5.9%. 739,000 Illinoisans are extremely poor.
· Bucking national trends of income growth, income levels are stagnant in Illinois: Illinois median household income in 2016 was $60,960, which is not significantly different from 2015. Income is still 4% below its pre-recession 2007 level.
· The rate of non-seniors in Illinois who are uninsured fell to 7.4%, a 0.7 percentage point decline from 2015 and a dramatic decline of 6.8 percentage points from 2008. 801,000 non-seniors remain uninsured.
For more information and to get comment and analysis from Heartland Alliance experts, read the attached press release. Reported by PRWeb 10 hours ago.
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No 'bare' counties - Anthem back in Virginia Obamacare exchange
Reversing course from a decision to abandon Virginia’s marketplace, Anthem announced Friday it will offer a health insurance plan on the exchange set up by the Affordable Care Act.
The decision means roughly 70,000 people in 63 counties will have coverage, and Virginia has no bare counties — areas... Reported by dailypress.com 3 hours ago.
The decision means roughly 70,000 people in 63 counties will have coverage, and Virginia has no bare counties — areas... Reported by dailypress.com 3 hours ago.
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Chew on this: Dental coverage gives protection within limits
The annual sign-up window for many types of health insurance also is a good time to think about dental coverage.
Reported by USATODAY.com 8 hours ago.
Reported by USATODAY.com 8 hours ago.
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Insurer leaves Michigan health exchange, citing volatility
One of the nine Michigan insurers that that was planning to sell health insurance on the federal marketplace next year has reversed course, saying Friday that it won't do so due to market uncertainties and volatility.
Reported by FOXNews.com 7 hours ago.
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HEALTH INSURANCE INNOVATIONS SHAREHOLDER ALERT BY FORMER LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: KAHN SWICK & FOTI, LLC REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Health Insurance Innovations - (HIIQ
NEW ORLEANS, LA--(Marketwired - September 15, 2017) - Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until* November 10, 2017* to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Health Insurance Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIIQ), if they purchased the Company's securities between August 2, 2017 and September 11, 2017, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Reported by Marketwired 1 hour ago.
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US Workers Without Paid Sick Leave Suffer From Mental Distress
Only seven states in the United States have mandatory paid sick leave laws; yet, 15 states have passed preemptive legislation prohibiting localities from passing sick leave. Despite this resistance, paid sick leave is starting to gain momentum as a social justice issue with important implications for health and wellness. But what are the implications for the mental well-being of Americans without paid sick leave? Little was known about their relationship until now.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Cleveland State University are the first to explore the link between psychological distress and paid sick leave among U.S. workers ages 18-64. Results of their study, published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, illuminate the effects of exacerbated stress on Americans without paid sick leave who are unable to care for themselves or their loved ones without fear of losing wages or their jobs.
The researchers found that workers without paid sick leave benefits reported a statistically significant higher level of psychological distress. They also are 1.45 times more likely to report that their distress symptoms interfere “a lot” with their daily life and activities compared to workers with paid sick leave. Those most vulnerable: young, Hispanic, low-income and poorly educated populations.
“Given the disproportionate access to paid sick leave based on race, ethnicity and income status, coupled with its relationship to health and mental health, paid sick leave must be viewed as a health disparity as well as a social justice issue,” said LeaAnne DeRigne, Ph.D., co-author of the study and an associate professor in the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work within FAU’s College for Design and Social Inquiry. “Even modest increases in psychological distress are noteworthy for both researchers and policy makers since we know that even small increases in stress can impact health.”
The study included 17,897 respondents from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), administered by the U.S. government since 1957 to examine a nationally representative sample of U.S. households about health and sociodemographic variables.
“For many Americans, daily life itself can be a source of stress as they struggle to manage numerous responsibilities including health related issues,” said Patricia Stoddard-Dare, Ph.D., lead author of the study and associate professor of social work at Cleveland State University. “Making matters worse, for those who lack paid sick leave, a day away from work can mean lost wages or even fear of losing one’s job. These stressors combined with other sources of stress have the potential to interfere with workplace performance and impact overall mental health.”
The researchers used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), considered the gold standard for assessing psychological distress in population-based samples in the U.S. and internationally. With a theoretical range of 0 to 24, higher scores on the K6 represent increased psychological distress and scores above 13 are correlated with having a mental disorder of some type.
Results from the study showed that those with paid sick leave had a lower mean distress score compared to those without paid sick leave, who had significantly higher K6 scores, indicating a higher level of psychological distress. Only 1.4 percent of those with paid sick leave had a K6 score above 12 compared to 3.1 percent of the respondents without paid sick leave.
The most significant control variables indicated an increase in the expected psychological distress score among those who were younger, female, in fair or poor personal health, had at least one chronic health condition, were current smokers or did not average the recommended range of seven to nine hours of sleep per day.
Approximately 40 percent of respondents in the NHIS sample did not have paid sick leave; approximately half of the respondents were female; more than half were married or cohabitating; three-quarters indicated that their highest level of education included at least some college; and 62 percent were non-Hispanic white. The mean age was 41.2 years. Most of the respondents (79.1 percent) worked full-time and 82.7 percent had health insurance coverage. Respondents were in families with a mean size of 2.6 persons and 39.3 percent reported having children in the family. Approximately 32 percent had an annual family income of $35,000 to $50,000, and more than one quarter were below the poverty threshold.
DeRigne and Stoddard-Dare caution that even though there is concern about the potential burden on employers if paid sick leave laws are passed, it is important to be mindful of the overall situation regarding productivity loss and workplace costs associated with mental health symptoms and psychological concerns among U.S. workers. Furthermore, the personal health care consequences of delaying or forgoing needed medical care can lead to more complicated and expensive health conditions. U.S. workers with paid sick leave are more likely to take time off work and self-quarantine when necessary, without the worries of losing their job or income while also not spreading illness to others.
“Results from our research will help employers as they think about strategies to reduce psychological stress in their employees such as implementing or expanding access to paid sick days,” said Stoddard-Dare. “Clinicians also can use these findings to help their patients and clients as can legislators who are actively evaluating the value of mandating paid sick leave.” Reported by Eurasia Review 9 minutes ago.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Cleveland State University are the first to explore the link between psychological distress and paid sick leave among U.S. workers ages 18-64. Results of their study, published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, illuminate the effects of exacerbated stress on Americans without paid sick leave who are unable to care for themselves or their loved ones without fear of losing wages or their jobs.
The researchers found that workers without paid sick leave benefits reported a statistically significant higher level of psychological distress. They also are 1.45 times more likely to report that their distress symptoms interfere “a lot” with their daily life and activities compared to workers with paid sick leave. Those most vulnerable: young, Hispanic, low-income and poorly educated populations.
“Given the disproportionate access to paid sick leave based on race, ethnicity and income status, coupled with its relationship to health and mental health, paid sick leave must be viewed as a health disparity as well as a social justice issue,” said LeaAnne DeRigne, Ph.D., co-author of the study and an associate professor in the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work within FAU’s College for Design and Social Inquiry. “Even modest increases in psychological distress are noteworthy for both researchers and policy makers since we know that even small increases in stress can impact health.”
The study included 17,897 respondents from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), administered by the U.S. government since 1957 to examine a nationally representative sample of U.S. households about health and sociodemographic variables.
“For many Americans, daily life itself can be a source of stress as they struggle to manage numerous responsibilities including health related issues,” said Patricia Stoddard-Dare, Ph.D., lead author of the study and associate professor of social work at Cleveland State University. “Making matters worse, for those who lack paid sick leave, a day away from work can mean lost wages or even fear of losing one’s job. These stressors combined with other sources of stress have the potential to interfere with workplace performance and impact overall mental health.”
The researchers used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), considered the gold standard for assessing psychological distress in population-based samples in the U.S. and internationally. With a theoretical range of 0 to 24, higher scores on the K6 represent increased psychological distress and scores above 13 are correlated with having a mental disorder of some type.
Results from the study showed that those with paid sick leave had a lower mean distress score compared to those without paid sick leave, who had significantly higher K6 scores, indicating a higher level of psychological distress. Only 1.4 percent of those with paid sick leave had a K6 score above 12 compared to 3.1 percent of the respondents without paid sick leave.
The most significant control variables indicated an increase in the expected psychological distress score among those who were younger, female, in fair or poor personal health, had at least one chronic health condition, were current smokers or did not average the recommended range of seven to nine hours of sleep per day.
Approximately 40 percent of respondents in the NHIS sample did not have paid sick leave; approximately half of the respondents were female; more than half were married or cohabitating; three-quarters indicated that their highest level of education included at least some college; and 62 percent were non-Hispanic white. The mean age was 41.2 years. Most of the respondents (79.1 percent) worked full-time and 82.7 percent had health insurance coverage. Respondents were in families with a mean size of 2.6 persons and 39.3 percent reported having children in the family. Approximately 32 percent had an annual family income of $35,000 to $50,000, and more than one quarter were below the poverty threshold.
DeRigne and Stoddard-Dare caution that even though there is concern about the potential burden on employers if paid sick leave laws are passed, it is important to be mindful of the overall situation regarding productivity loss and workplace costs associated with mental health symptoms and psychological concerns among U.S. workers. Furthermore, the personal health care consequences of delaying or forgoing needed medical care can lead to more complicated and expensive health conditions. U.S. workers with paid sick leave are more likely to take time off work and self-quarantine when necessary, without the worries of losing their job or income while also not spreading illness to others.
“Results from our research will help employers as they think about strategies to reduce psychological stress in their employees such as implementing or expanding access to paid sick days,” said Stoddard-Dare. “Clinicians also can use these findings to help their patients and clients as can legislators who are actively evaluating the value of mandating paid sick leave.” Reported by Eurasia Review 9 minutes ago.
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No big spikes in workers' health insurance premiums
Read full story for latest details.
Reported by CNNMoney 12 hours ago.
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The Wall Street Journal: Employer-provided health insurance now costs nearly $19,000
Reported by MarketWatch 12 hours ago.
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Repeal and replace is back, and scarier than ever
Like the villain in a slasher movie, Senate Republicans keep coming for the health insurance of tens of millions of Americans. After Sen. John McCain’s dramatic “no” vote seemed to finish off this year’s attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a proposal by two senators with mostly unearned...
Reported by L.A. Times 11 hours ago.
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A bipartisan group of governors just blasted the new Republican healthcare bill — and it has a key addition
A bipartisan group of 10 governors on Tuesday attacked the latest Republican attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in a strongly worded letter to Senate leaders.The letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson healthcare legislation should not be considered. Instead, the group said, the Senate should prioritize the bipartisan bill being drafted in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to stabilize the law known as Obamacare.
"As you continue to consider changes to the American health care system, we ask you not to consider the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson amendment and renew support for bipartisan efforts to make health care more available and affordable for all Americans," the letter said. "Only open, bipartisan approaches can achieve true, lasting reforms."
The authors of the Senate legislation have consistently cited the ability for states to determine their own healthcare expenditures by proposing to provide states federal funding in a block grants. Critics of the bill say that while it gives states the money up front, it also slices the amount of money most states receive.
Nine of the 10 governors who signed the letter represent states that expanded the federal Medicaid program under Obamacare. That expansion would no longer receive funding under the GCHJ bill.
The group of governors includes Republicans John Kasich of Ohio and Brian Sandoval of Nevada along with Democrats John Hickenlooper of Colorado and John Bel Edwards of Louisiana (the home state of Sen. Bill Cassidy, an author of the bill).
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, who had not joined the group in opposing previous versions of GOP healthcare legislation, also signed onto the letter. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted against the original Senate healthcare plans in July and is seen as a pivotal vote on the GCHJ.
Kasich and Hickenlooper led a similar group when they debuted a stabilization plan for the Obamacare markets, which bears striking similarities to the discussions in the HELP Committee. The governors praised that work. From the letter:
"Chairman Lamar Alexander and Ranking Member Patty Murray have held bipartisan hearings in the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and have negotiated in good faith to stabilize the individual market. At the committee’s recent hearing with Governors, there was broad bipartisan agreement about many of the initial steps that need to be taken to make individual health insurance more stable and affordable. We are hopeful that the HELP committee, through an open process, can develop bipartisan legislation and we believe their efforts deserve support."
Republicans have until September 30 to pass the GCHJ with a simple majority.
*SEE ALSO: Top Louisiana health official warns GOP healthcare bill's author that it'll screw his state*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Trump touts the 1986 US tax reform law as 'something special' — here's footage of him calling it a 'disaster' in 1991 Reported by Business Insider 11 hours ago.
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Employer health insurance premiums show a small rise, less than the increase for Obamacare plans
Family health insurance premiums rose an average of 3% this year for people getting coverage through their jobs, the sixth consecutive year of small increases, according to a study released Tuesday.
The average total cost of family premiums was $18,764 for 2017, according to a survey of employers... Reported by L.A. Times 10 hours ago.
The average total cost of family premiums was $18,764 for 2017, according to a survey of employers... Reported by L.A. Times 10 hours ago.
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Barre police contract negotiations set to resume
BARRE, Vt. (AP) — Police contract negotiations are resuming this week in Barre, Vermont, as both sides return to the table with new health insurance information. The Times Argus reports (http://bit.ly/2wt9r45 ) negotiations will resume Wednesday afternoon. Negotiators representing Barre and police union members have reviewed health insurance premiums for the coming year. Wages and […]
Reported by Seattle Times 10 hours ago.
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Federal government continues to review Iowa’s ACA plan
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The federal government continues to review Iowa’s short-term funding proposal to redirect Affordable Care Act money to lower some people’s health insurance costs. A representative for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says Iowa’s application for a so-called stopgap measure is complete and a public comment period will run […]
Reported by Seattle Times 8 hours ago.
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Blue Cross again awarded contract by State Health Plan
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will remain in place to administer the health insurance plan for several hundred thousand current and retired state employees, teachers and their dependents until at least 2021. The State Health Plan’s trustee board voted Tuesday to award again a third-party administrator contract to […]
Reported by Seattle Times 7 hours ago.
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The bipartisan effort to fix Obamacare just collapsed
Negotiations between GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander and Democrat Sen. Patty Murray on a bipartisan bill to stabilize the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges collapsed Tuesday, Alexander said."Senator Murray and I had hoped to agree early this week on a limited, bipartisan plan to stabilize 2018 premiums in the individual health insurance market that we could take to Senate leaders by the end of the month," Alexander said in a statement. "During the last month, we have worked hard and in good faith, but we have not found the necessary consensus among Republicans and Democrats to put a bill in the Senate leaders' hands that could be enacted."
The announcement comes at the same time Republicans in the Senate are mounting one last effort to repeal and replace Obamacare with what's become known as the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson plan.
The bipartisan bill had been taking shape following a series of hearings that included state-level insurance officials, health policy experts, and governors. The participants offered a slew of ideas to help ensure that uncertainty was stripped out of the market for 2018 and control costs for Americans.
Insurers have cited increased political uncertainty as a factor for both increasing premiums in the Obamacare exchanges and pulling out of markets altogether. Alexander and Murray hoped to alleviate some of that uncertainty with new legislation.
Influential Republicans including White House officials and Senate Finance Chair Orrin Hatch came out against the Alexander-Murray push, which helped doom the effort. House Speaker Paul Ryan said that his chamber would not even consider a bipartisan stabilization bill.
*SEE ALSO: A bipartisan group of governors just blasted the new Republican healthcare bill — and it has a key addition*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Putin's controversial bridge to connect Russia to annexed Crimea will be the longest in Russian history Reported by Business Insider 7 hours ago.
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Cost of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Rises Toward $19,000 a Year
The average cost of health coverage offered by employers pushed toward $19,000 for a family plan this year, while the share of firms providing insurance to workers continued to edge lower, according to a major survey.
Reported by Wall Street Journal 24 minutes ago.
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Kaiser CEO Bernard Tyson writes blueprint for improving the health insurance market
Bernard Tyson offers Congress a roadmap for improving the Affordable Care Act and insurance marketplaces.
Reported by bizjournals 5 hours ago.
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The GOP's Latest Strategy to Dismantle Obamacare Unveiled -- Here's What You Need to Know
A plan to shift health insurance to a block-grant program would give states the freedom to create their own insurance programs. But it may still fail to win support among moderate Republicans.
Reported by Motley Fool 6 hours ago.
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