Tag: health care

Bright Health pulls out of Colorado insurance market

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

Health insurance company Bright Health announced Tuesday that it won’t offer insurance plans in Colorado next year, meaning roughly 55,000 people in the state will need to find new coverage.

The decision is part of a move by Bright to pull out of every state in which it operates but two — Florida and California — as it struggles for profitability.

“The changes announced today give Bright Health a strong and stable platform for profitable growth at much lower risk,” Mike Mikan, the president and CEO of Bright Health Group, said in a statement.

Bright currently offers plans in Colorado on the individual and small group markets, where people buy coverage on their own or where small businesses buy coverage for their employees, respectively. In addition to Colorado, Bright will no longer offer coverage in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Nebraska, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee, and it will drop coverage for certain types of plans in Florida.

But the shockwaves will echo especially loudly in Colorado because Bright is intertwined with a major health reform initiative backed by the administration of Gov. Jared Police. Bright is the carrier that offers plans for the Peak Health Alliance, a pioneering “health care purchasing alliance” that unites members of a community to directly negotiate lower prices with local hospitals. As Peak’s selected insurance carrier, Bright then bundles those prices into insurance plans for Peak members. Peak started in Summit County and currently operates in eight western Colorado counties.

Anne Ladd, the CEO of the Peak Health Alliance, said she learned of Bright’s decision to leave Colorado at 5 am Tuesday via a company news release. She said the move means that Peak will not be able to offer plans in 2023 because there is not enough time to team up with a

… Read the rest
Read more

Huge health insurance increase could spur NJ property tax hikes, layoffs, local leaders warn

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is under fire from local government leaders and some state lawmakers as municipalities and counties in New Jersey grapple with an unprecedented double-digit rate increase on premiums for state health benefit plans.

New Jersey’s State Health Benefits Commission in September voted 3-2 to approve rate hikes of more than 20% on health plans that cover more than 800,000 state and local government workers, including a 22.8% rate increase on premiums for local and county governments.

“We would have to turn off the lights in Pleasantville and lock the door if this increase goes through,” Pleasantville Mayor Judy Ward said Wednesday during a joint press conference with dozens of other mayors, county leaders, local government lobbyists and a handful of Democratic state lawmakers.

“We’re already an overburdened community,” Ward said. “I hope the governor and all those responsible will hear us and give us the relief that we need.”

The rate hike is expected to cost local governments in New Jersey more than $350 million, according to New Jersey Association of Counties Executive Director John Donnadio.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said the rate hikes are expected to cost his city about $24 million, “and that does not include all of the other expenses that are growing here in the city.”

“I think the insurance companies should take a hit as well,” Baraka said. “It is inhumane to ask us to pay this much money in the middle of what’s going on.”

The sharp increase in premiums is hitting local governments just as federal COVID relief funds are beginning to dry up and local leaders are confronting rising costs for a wide range of government services amid record-high inflation.

Many leaders on Wednesday expressed concerns about filling holes in local budgets, and they only have one source to

… Read the rest
Read more

Many Americans can’t afford health costs even with insurance

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

By Michael Ollove | Stateline.org (TNS)

BALTIMORE — The number of Americans with health insurance has climbed to historic highs during the COVID-19 pandemic, but within that silver lining is a darker hue.

Many Americans have policies that only provide limited financial protection, to the point that many patients report forgoing needed medical care or prescriptions to avoid being hit with punishing out-of-pocket costs.

Those are some of the findings from a new health insurance survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, a private research foundation that promotes high-quality, equitable health care.

The survey comes on the heels of other health insurance data, including some released by the US Census Bureau from its annual American Community Survey, attesting that certain pandemic measures, particularly those Congress passed, have ushered more people into health insurance than ever before.

People are also reading…

In 2021, nearly 299 million Americans had health insurance, the most ever, and the number of Americans without health insurance — just over 28 million in 2021 — had dropped by 1.4 million people from 2019, according to the American Community Survey.

During the pandemic, Congress has prevented states from disenrolling anyone from Medicaid, the health plan for lower-income Americans. It also increased subsidies to help pay for individual health plans bought on the Affordable Care Act markets.

Yet the increased insurance hasn’t necessarily provided sufficient financial protection and by extension, necessary medical care.

The Affordable Care Act requires insurance plans to provide specified benefits, but it doesn’t eliminate the copays and deductibles that patients must pay.

“The big ‘but’ is that while it’s great that more people have insurance coverage, it’s also half the battle,” said Gideon Lukens, director of research and data analysis for health policy at the left-leaning research institute, the Center on Budget

… Read the rest
Read more

The Flying Doctors provide free health care services to uninsured valley residents

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

In Thermal, The Flying Doctors and the Coachella Valley Medical volunteers hosted a free health fair clinic at the Desert Mirage High School from 8 am to 3 pm

Congressmember Raul Ruiz joined local medical volunteers to provide services to the community, including flu shots, COVID testing, and more health resources.

This event was open to families that are without health insurance. Free medical and dental clinics were available for. They were also given free health care and education. Roughly 80 volunteers were on hand who were able to provide services to 300 people.

Congressman Ruiz said, “This is living my dream this is fulfilling my mission one day at a time, and helping to organize and motivate people to volunteer and come out here and be part of this is really my happy place.”

Some locals were able to sign up for health benefits while receiving free services. Over 70 organizations and non-profits were involved the today’s event at helping educate the community about health care.

“There are three main hospitals in the Coachella Valley; combined, these hospitals have a total of 867
staffed/actual beds available to our residents, a ratio of approximately two beds per 1,000 people,” written in a HARC report owned by Desert Healthcare District and Foundation.

“However, these hospital beds are most densely located in the western part of the Coachella Valley,
limiting access to people living in the east valley who often experience transportation struggles. The Coachella Valley also lacks physicians in several specialty areas but to a lesser degree.

About 15% of adults in the Coachella Valley are uninsured”. This report was created by HARC, Inc. (Health Assessment and Research for Communities) for the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation.

To learn more about Desert Healthcare District and Foundation, visit www.DHCD.org. To

… Read the rest
Read more

Here are insurance health plan shopping tips for cost-conscious buyers

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

When shopping for goods and services, cost is most often the determining factor. For those preparing to shop for health care coverage, that’s never been more true.

We’ve all felt the impact of inflation on food and gas prices, and these concerns will likely carry into the holiday season as many Tennesseans travel and exchange gifts. As families continue to face high prices, many of us are in the market for health coverage we don’t receive from an employer — and weighing options that fit in our budgets.

For seniors, the Medicare annual enrollment period runs Oct. 15-Dec. 7. For others looking for a plan through the federal health insurance Marketplace, open enrollment runs Nov. 1-Dec. 15 for coverage effective Jan. 1, 2023. (Marketplace open enrollment ends altogether on Jan. 15; later-enrollment coverage begins Feb. 1.)

Those interested in Marketplace plans should first visit healthcare.gov and follow the prompts to see if you qualify for financial assistance (many people do) and to view plans in your area. It’s easy to compare plans. For help finding a plan that fits your needs, you can work with a broker or navigator, or directly with a plan carrier.

On the Medicare side, shoppers should visit ssa.gov to begin enrolling in a Medicare Supplement plan, Medicare Advantage plan or Part D plan. Medicare.gov offers a comparison tool that will let you compare plans offered in your area.

Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.

Some things to consider

A photo illustration demonstrates plans for eight primary care clinics opened as a joint venture between Sanitas Healthcare and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the largest health insurance provider in the state.

A photo illustration demonstrates plans for eight primary care clinics opened as a joint venture between Sanitas Healthcare and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the largest health insurance provider in the state.

  • Cost considerations include the plan’s monthly premium, copayments or coinsurance for services you use, and the

… Read the rest
Read more

Just Six Health Plans Earn Top Scores In NCQA 2022 Health Insurance Ratings

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

In the landscape of American healthcare, no sector is less trusted than health insurance. According to a 2021 American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation surveyjust 33% of people said they trust health insurance companies, compared with 85% who said they trust doctors.

New data from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) suggests this figure may not be improving.

In NCQA’s 2022 Health Plan Ratings, released today, satisfaction with care got worse among members on commercial and Medicaid health plans. Commercial member satisfaction dropped 4 points, from 55.9% last year to 51.8% this year, and Medicaid member satisfaction dropped 2 points, from 58.7% last year to 56.5% this year. Though these changes may look small, they are statistically significant.

The annual ratings evaluate health plans across the commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid segments. Plans are rated on a scale of 0 to 5 stars based on nearly 50 assessments of patients’ access to care, outcomes, experience, and satisfaction. These assessments capture things like how easy or hard it is for members to get the care they need and how satisfied members are with their health plan’s customer service.

The 2022 ratings include health plans serving more than 200 million people, more than 60% of the United States population, according to NCQA.

Overall, just six out of 1,048 health plans in the 2022 ratings earned 5 stars, the best possible score. Of the six top-rated plans, four are Kaiser Foundation Health Plans, including Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, which earned 5 stars in all three insurance categories. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado also earned the top score in Medicare.

Kaiser Foundation Health Plans may do particularly well on these ratings because they use an integrated approach, connecting health

… Read the rest
Read more

NJ public workers rally against health care increase as high as 20%

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

Hundreds of public employees rallied at the statehouse Tuesday against a proposed increase to their health insurance plans that could raise their costs as much as 20%, but which some say could trickle down to statewide taxpayers.

The State Health Benefits Commission, the panel responsible for setting insurance premiums, is set to vote on that increase Wednesday.

The rally, coordinated by the Communications Workers of America labor union, featured a large turnout of members from several other labor groups, including police and municipal workers. Speakers urged members to call the Treasury Department and the governor’s office to urge them to vote down the historic increase.

“Call today and then call again tomorrow when they make the wrong decision,” said Jim McAsey, mobilization coordinator for CWA New Jersey. “Or call tomorrow and thank them for making the right one.”

New Jersey public employees protest to prevent a raise in the costs of their healthcare benefits that is to be voted on tomorrow. The large protest took place outside the statehouse annex on September 13, 2022.

The Record Guild, made up of editorial staff of the USA TODAY Network New Jersey, belongs to the NewsGuild of New York, which is a chapter of the CWA. The potential health care increase does not affect Guild members.

There are about 816,000 public employees covered by the State Health Benefit Plan and the State Education Health Benefit Plan, according to the Treasury Department. This includes all manner of employees, from firefighters to teachers to local and state workers.

Trending:Check the mail: Details on NJ property tax rebates coming soon

Packing more punch:NJ groups that oppose affordable housing projects wield new tools

The proposal could affect all state employees, as well as 763 county and municipal agencies employing a wide variety of workers from every county, according to information provided by the New Jersey Association of Counties.

In addition to driving up the cost of health care for these workers, labor officials warn, the trickle-down effect of the exponential increase

… Read the rest
Read more

Tips for Finding Cheap Health Care Without Insurance

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

Maybe you’re between jobs or haven’t been able to find an affordable health insurance plan yet. While having at least some medical insurance is recommended for everyone, it can be really expensive if your employer doesn’t pay for it. What’s more, navigating the health insurance marketplace may feel totally chaotic and soul-sucking. About 10% (PDF) of Americans didn’t have health insurance in 2020, and most that don’t are uninsured because they can’t afford it or don’t qualify for financial assistance in their state.

But everyone needs to go to the doctor sometimes. So what do you do?

First, you could qualify for Medicaid financial assistance depending on your circumstances and location, and you could also qualify for Medicare. Even if you’ve already checked in the past, it’s worth checking your state’s Medicaid eligibility since it was expanded in most states. You can also fill out this application to see which government assistance programs you’re eligible for. What’s more, there are plans that are alternatives to traditional health insurance.

If those plans aren’t a fit, you’re not out of options. Here are tricks to getting quality care when you’re paying out of pocket.

Read more: Affordable Care Act: How to Sign Up and When You Can

A doctor counsels a patient on her treatment plan

Reminding your care team or doctor that you don’t have health insurance may help them tailor a treatment plan that won’t break your bank.

Sturti/Getty Images

Take advantage of preventive care and free screenings

Some cities or pharmacies have pop-up events that run simple blood tests or health screenings. Keep your eye out for these events and take advantage, as they can help you keep tabs on your health and hopefully prevent more doctor’s visits or medical interventions down the line.

In New York, for one example, the state health department says it offers

… Read the rest
Read more

Making sense of health savings accounts in 2023 insurance coverage

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

Peopleimages | Istock | Getty Images

As open enrollment season gets underway, you may find yourself having to decide whether a health savings account should be part of your 2023 medical coverage. These tax-advantaged accounts let users save for medical expenses.

Many companies will soon — or already have started to — hold their annual open enrollment period for workers to pick their health plan for next year, among other employer-sponsored benefits. Some of those firms will offer so-called high-deductible health plans, which are what HSAs are tied to, as an option for coverage.

“For the most part…an [HSA eligible] plan is the most cost-effective way to get health insurance,” said certified financial planner Carolyn McClanahan, founder of Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida.

More from Personal Finance:
4 key dates to know about student loan forgiveness
Here are ways to protect yourself from identity scams
NBA star James Harden backs ‘financial literacy tour’

Yet fewer companies have been offering them: In 2021, an estimated 17% of firms with health benefits offered high-deductible plans, down from 20% in 2020 and 26% in 2019, according to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

“There was a trend for employers to offer only high-deductible plans,” said Lisa Myers, director of client services and benefits accounts for consultant Willis Towers Watson. “But they’ve actually backed up a little … most employees do have a choice in what to enroll in.”

Higher deductibles mean lower premiums

An HSA eligible, high-deductible health plan for 2023 will come with an annual deductible — the amount you pay for covered medical costs before insurance kicks in — of at least $1,500 for an individual plan and $3,000 for families. However, these plans often have lower monthly premiums compared with coverage options that are not

… Read the rest
Read more

Tom Purcell: Health insurance perplexity

Posted on by Judith E. Ashton

I’m confused.

I got the flu a few months ago, the worst flu I’d ever had. It wasn’t covid — I have never tested positive for covid — but it was a humdinger.

For more than a week, I was a lump on a bed, completely unable to move or do anything.

To make sure I wasn’t going to perish, I paid a visit to the hospital emergency room. They tested me for all kinds of things and, five hours later, said I had the flu and that I could go home.

It was nice to be assured that all I had to do was let my immune system wage a mighty battle for the rest of the week.

It wasn’t so nice when the bills started coming in, which totaled more than $7,000 — from what I can gather.

I have a decent health insurance policy through my corporate client that has temporarily brought me on as an employee to support a big project, so, after deductibles are met, I owed $2,500 or thereabouts — from what I can gather.

Months later, I am still in a state of total confusion and know it will take me hours to figure out how much I owe and to whom.

And I am not alone. Millions of Americans are befuddled by their health insurance policies and the convoluted bills they receive when, God forbid, they need to get health care.

According to the Portland Press Herald Newsthere are lots of hidden fees in medical bills that jack up the cost of services, and there is no continuity among providers.

One hospital might charge $750 for an MRI and another might charge $3,000 or more for the identical service.

Healthcare.com conducted a survey that found more than one in four Americans

… Read the rest
Read more