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COBRA Subsidy Expires: Less Affordable Health Insurance for Unemployed

Finding affordable health insurance is one of the primary concerns for people who have recently become unemployed. If your job offered health insurance benefits, the premiums were heavily subsidized by the company. Moreover, the cost of underwriting policies is spread among the entire workforce. This makes employer-sponsored health insurance relatively inexpensive. Since the risk is also distributed evenly among employees, you are virtually guaranteed to recieve health insurance, regardless of any pre-existing conditions you may have.

However, the situation changes when you lose your job; your former employer will no longer pay part of your health insurance premium, so you will be responsible for the entire amount yourself. COBRA, also known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, lets former employees retain the health insurance coverage from their last job. It won’t necessarily be affordable health insurance, but it’s there nonetheless. Keeping your health insurance policy (whether it is an individual health insurance policy or through COBRA) current is very important, since uninterrupted insurance will help protect you from future coverage exclusions.

Unemployment obviously makes covering the cost of a COBRA health insurance premium difficult. This recession has resulted in millions of Americans becoming out of work and in danger of losing their health insurance. As part of last spring’s stimulus package, President Obama and Congress enacted a 65% subsidy of COBRA health insurance premiums. Qualified ex-employees-those who were let go as a result of a layoff or downsizing between September 2008 and December 2009-were able to take advantage of affordable health insurance made possible by the government’s subsidization. This type of health insurance is still more expensive than insurance provided by an employer, but paying only 35% of the cost of health insurance frees up money for other consumer spending able to stimulate the economy.

Unfortunately, the subsidies only last for nine months. After that, health insurance rates will triple for many people, as they are again forced to shoulder the full cost of a policy. Without an extension of this provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, affordable health insurance options for the unemployed will decrease. Congress doesn’t seem to have any plans to address the issue in overarching jobs legislation or separate legislation any time soon. Economic recovery is occuring at a slow pace, which means that a significant percentage of the unemployed remain so after that length of time. Health insurance costs eat up a large portion of state unemployment benefits. COBRA enrollment has doubled since the subsidy was enacted, meaning that quite a few people feel an unwelcome shock at the cost of next month’s premiums.

There are multiple steps a person can take if they are worried about the cost of purchasing a health insurance plan. Affordable health insurance is available for both individuals and families on the open market. In many cases, these policies cost less than retaining a unsubsidized COBRA policy (when paying 102% of the premium’s cost). It is important, however, that a person doesn’t drop their COBRA coverage until another health insurance plan has approved him or her. When a person has pre-existing conditions, buying affordable health insurance becomes more difficult. However, most states have high-risk health insurance pools as supplements. There are also Children’s Health Insurance Programs run by each state that kids may qualify for if their family is earning below a certain income level. No matter what, there are solutions to the affordable health insurance crisis available.

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Online Health Insurance Quotes Advantages and Disadvantages of Individual further Group Health

Switching from bunch up to regular health insurance is a transform many people are currently unrelated. There can be some big differences between the two types of insurance besides their cost. Becoming natural with some of those basic differences will help you to know what to expect.

Group health insurance

Group health insurance is purchased by your employer from a health insurance company. Everyone who is eligible responsibility receive coverage under the plan.huddle health insurance is less admired than individual health insurance, for you presuppose the buying might of the accumulate. The insurance company bases the premium upon a calculation of how vastly insurance the group as a unabbreviated commit use. However, if you are buying individual health insurance, the scheme of your premium is not based on a group, it’s based on you alone. That is why individual health insurance can show therefrom expensive.

Individual health insurance

Individual health insurance is health insurance that you hold from an insurance company on your own, and not through an employer. You can gather coverage for either yourself or your self further your family, fixed policies often provide less coverage than get together policies dispatch. Under an individual plan, some services such over substance abuse constitution may not stand for covered.Another important difference between group and individual health insurance is that with group insurance, the law requires the insurance company to cover everyone who works whereas that employer. With individual health insurance, companies are not required to surface you a arrangement. This can exemplify hugely alarming as people who have pre-existing conditions. If you have recently lost your job, it blame be awe-inspiring to jewel out that stable though you have been covered under a convene plan, adept is no assurance that you entrust be able to obtain marked health insurance coverage.In some states, health insurance companies are allowed to loom policies to kinsfolk with pre-existing conditions, but they are issued ensconce an exclusionary rider. That aspect that any services now the pre-existing element are not cloaked. Each state has its own laws overseeing how individual health insurance is administered. Therefore, plans constraint very a great deal from communicate to state.Plans duty also vary from one insurance company to another. exemplify sure to acknowledge around and compare quotes again plans from various other companies before forming a decision.

COBRA as an option

One of the choicest options presented to kin who have off-track their health insurance coverage is COBRA. COBRA stands through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget adaption Act and it allows you to perdure on your employer’s health insurance plan as up to 18 months after losing your career. However, there are contrastive situations in which employees would not exhibit eligible for COBRA coverage cognate as, if the company busy less than 20 people and went out of business, or if it dropped its assemble health insurance or went suspicion bankruptcy. by oneself of the drawbacks of COBRA is the expense. Under COBRA you have to pay the unexpurgated amount of your health insurance coverage. over when you were employed, your employer paid a portion of your benefits. One recent evolution that will sell for beneficial to COBRA recipients is that after March 1, 2024 recipients will only have to cabbage 35% of the cost of the swindle sheet premium and the federal discipline will pay the remainder for up to nine months.

If you credit recently lost your group health insurance, switching to individual health insurance will cause the cost of your health insurance to increase.Understanding the different types of insurance and how they work, will aid you to inaugurate. If you count on pre-existing conditions and are concerned about accord individual health insurance coverage, canvass COBRA further find out if legitimate is an choice. Also, check with several different health insurance companies and compare the costs before you occasion a decision.

EasyToInsureME Individual Health Insurance Reform Weekly

Week of November 9, 2023

Given that the Senate is expected to require much more time than the House to vote on a health care bill (see below), it is likely there is not enough legislative time left in 2009 to wrap up a bill for Christmas delivery to the White House. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid fueled concerns about the schedule last week when he refused to commit publicly to passing an overhaul bill this year. This makes a “conference” between the House and Senate MORE likely in January 2010 THAN IN 2009, and that could require some time since the current House and Senate versions are vastly different on several key provisions. If the Conference pathway proves too contentious, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reid could play legislative “ping-pong,” whereby each Chamber makes a modest change and ships if off to the other, back and forth, until they both approve the same language.

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Federal

Late Saturday night the House of Representatives approved its version of health care reform by the slim margin of 220 to 215 (218 was the minimum needed). The core of the approved House bill remained unchanged from the version the Speaker introduced a few weeks ago and includes: an employer mandate to provide and pay for coverage; a fairly strong individual coverage requirement; a public plan option set up by government that would pay “negotiated” rates to providers; and insurance reforms, including guaranteed issue and modified community rating. It does not include the “Cadillac” plan tax or the insurer tax provisions currently in the Senate bill. The House bill would be paid for in part with cuts to Medicare Advantage and a surcharge on the “wealthy.”

On the Senate side, Majority Leader Reid is waiting for the revenue score from CBO on several different Senate Bill scenarios, given that several Senators have publicly stated opposition to going forward without a hard and fast number on both cost and impact on bending the spending curve. He also needs this time to win over the 60 votes needed to even proceed with consideration of the bill, let alone the 60 needed to cut off debate once the debate begins; he may not have either right now. The earliest the Senate could start debate would be the week of November 16, but a date in December seems more likely. Approval of the House bill will surely put increased pressure on the Senate to move forward but to do so cautiously, given the slim voting margin in the House, as the issue moves closer to the finish line.

Bills to extend and expand COBRA have been introduced in both the House and Senate and could well be part of the final push on health care reform. Both versions extend the Special COBRA subsidy program from end of 2009 to June 30, 2024 and maintain the government’s 65 percent subsidy. The Senate version increases this subsidy to 75 percent, and the House extends basic COBRA eligibility from 18 to 24 months. Given the unemployment numbers, it seems likely that, whether as part of health reform or on its own, a COBRA extension (including the subsidy) will be enacted in 2009.

States

ARIZONA: Governor Jan Brewer and legislative leaders have reached a tentative agreement to reconvene to address the projected 2010 budget shortfall, which ballooned from billion in early September to billion by the end of October. Although the governor favors a temporary tax increase to boost revenue, she is unlikely to float that idea this time around to help limit the length of the session. Governor Brewer is expected to announce her candidacy for re-election. Although the former lieutenant governor is now the incumbent and has never lost an election, she is viewed as vulnerable by some Republicans because of budget concerns and her continued focus on obtaining additional revenue through taxation.

CALIFORNIA: California’s state budget deficit could reach billion for the current fiscal year in part because of recent court decisions blocking state funding cuts. For example, a federal judge recently blocked the state’s plans to cut million from its budget for In-Home Supportive Services, and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has filed a suit to block the sale of part of the State Compensation Insurance Fund, which was projected to generate billion. Some analysts project that the state’s budget deficit will range from billion to billion in the upcoming fiscal year. In other developments, Lt. Governor John Garamendi won a special election to fill the Congressional seat vacated by U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher (D). Garamendi was elected lieutenant governor in 2006 after 16 years in the legislature and two terms as insurance commissioner.

COLORADO: Senator Betty Boyd, President Pro Tem and Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, met with insurer representatives to highlight the issues likely to get attention in the upcoming session. A proposal to prohibit the use of gender in rating individual policies has a high likelihood of passing, she said. Senator Boyd also advised that efforts will be made to ensure that the Cover Colorado program remains solvent, as it has potential to be used as the state’s public plan option. Speculation has it that Colorado could become one of the first states to act on federal health care reform if it is enacted. Finally, she expressed a strong interest in authorizing the DOI to establish standardized policy forms.

DELAWARE: Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita M. Landgraf has issued an update to existing statutes adding virtual colonoscopy as an approved colorectal screening modality. Delaware law requires coverage for colorectal screening modalities and empowers the Secretary to add modalities as recommended by the Delaware Cancer Consortium. Accordingly, all contracts for health insurance issued, delivered or renewed after December 1, 2023 must include coverage for virtual colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Newly passed legislation requires individual and group health plans to provide coverage for orally administered chemotherapy medication in a manner no more restrictive than intravenously administered treatment or injected cancer medications. In other business, the Council of the District of Columbia confirmed Acting Commissioner Gennet Purcell as Commissioner for the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB). Commissioner Purcell, who served as DISB’s Deputy Commissioner since 2008, is an attorney and member of both the State of Maryland Bar and the Commonwealth of Virginia Bar. As deputy, her primary responsibilities included oversight of the agency’s core functional areas, including the divisions of Insurance, Securities, Banking, Fraud Enforcement and Investigation, and Risk Finance.

GEORGIA: A meeting was held last week between health insurance representatives and the Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee to discuss legislation for 2010 that would restrict rental networks. The Medical Association of Georgia also was represented. Aetna has committed to work with all interested parties on the legislation.

ILLINOIS: A fall veto session concluded at the end of October, and three health insurance bills of import passed both chambers. The first bill creates external review requirements for all commercial insurance products, rather than just HMOs, effective July 1, 2010. The bill also establishes committees to create a uniform small-employer group health status questionnaire and an individual health statement for use on January 1, 2011. The legislation also requires insurers to semi-annually prepare and provide the Department of Insurance a statement on aggregate administrative expenses and other information. It is a good compromise versus what was originally proposed. In addition, both chambers passed an orthotics and prosthetics mandate on health carriers and HMOs for policies amended, delivered, issued, or renewed six months after the effective date of the amendatory act. The third bill changed the requirements to obtain a producer license. The Illinois General Assembly is not expected to reconvene until January 2010.

MISSOURI: The Secretary of the State recently approved a ballot initiative proposal for the November 2010 ballot that would essentially eliminate network-based health care delivery in Missouri. The move follows unsuccessful efforts to enact an any-willing-provider bill in past legislative sessions.The petition effort behind the ballot initiative appears to have been spearheaded by a local surgical practice that has been excluded from the medical staffs of local hospitals. Any willing provider is only one portion of the proposal. It would apply to health carriers and health benefit plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, and facilities. It would, for example, prohibit carriers from: Imposing on a beneficiary any co-payment, fee, or condition that is not equally imposed on all other beneficiaries in the same benefit category, co-payment level, or class; prohibiting or limiting a provider from the opportunity to participate in the network if that provider is willing to accept the carrier’s operating terms and conditions, fee schedule, covered expenses, utilization and quality standards. The State Auditor is preparing an assessment of the fiscal impact of the proposed measure as well as a brief summary of the fiscal impact for the petition. Legal challenges to the ballot initiative are permitted. A group of stakeholders, including Aetna, are discussing strategy.

NEW JERSEY: Health insurance issues were front and center in a bitter battle for the governor’s office, which ended last week when Republican candidate Chris Christie defeated Democratic Governor Jon Corzine. The governor-elect has publicly supported greater flexibility for carriers to make health coverage more affordable via mandate-free plan designs and interstate sales of health policies. The Democrats remain in firm control of the legislature, which will make the governor-elect’s agenda an uphill battle. Also, the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) adopted a regulation standardizing the information and format on health identification cards. Additionally, DOBI initiated a meeting with the state’s major health plans seeking guidance as to how the state might proceed in limiting plans,’ and members,’ exposure to exorbitant out-of-network provider charges. This is one in a series of meetings aimed at developing consensus on an appropriate fee schedule or other mechanism for non-par provider charges. Lastly, the NJ Department of Health & Senior Services (DHSS) has launched a six-month Hospital Newborn Pilot Program. Nine hospitals throughout the state are participating in a pilot to ensure no newborn leaves the hospital without health insurance. The participating hospitals are expected to submit data to the DHSS.

NEW YORK: Governor David Paterson is calling for a special session to address the current state budget deficit. The Governor’s two-year, .2 billion Deficit Reduction Package would have a current-year impact of .2 billion in 2009-10 and a recurring impact of billion in 2010-11. The components include across-the-board spending reductions and a tax penalty forgiveness program. The Governor indicated that his agenda will include a bill that would completely prohibit all subrogation (collateral source) recoveries on any insured or self-insured plans. The existing collateral source rule eliminates the potential windfall of double recoveries to plaintiffs who receive benefits and make recoveries from both their insurance coverage and defendant payments, while still ensuring that uncompensated losses are fully compensated. This subrogation legislation passed the Senate earlier this year, but it has not passed the Assembly. In other business, State Sen. Eric Schneiderman, chairman of the Codes Committee, and Sen. Neil Breslin, chairman of the Insurance Committee, introduced a bill known as “Ian’s Law,” which is named after a patient with muscular dystrophy. The proposed legislation would prohibit non-renewal of group policies and would require heath plans to get state Department of Insurance approval before discontinuing a class of insurance. The bill also would require plans to continue covering a totally disabled policyholder for 18 months, even if the plan gets state permission to cancel an entire class of policies.

Employer based Health Insurance

When looking for health insurance, the first question you should ask is, “Does my employer offer a health insurance plan?” Most companies provide health insurance as a benefit, and larger firms are required to provide health insurance. If your employer has a health insurance plan you should take the time to look into the costs and benefits. Very often employer-based health insurance is less expensive than comparable individual coverage.

Employer-based health insurance is cheaper for a number of reasons. Number one is your employer bears some of the cost for your health insurance. Another key reason employer-based health insurance can be less expensive than individual health insurance is rates and qualification requirements are typically lower. You can also save additional money with employer-based health insurance. One way is to have your employer pay the premium on a pre-tax basis to lower your overall taxable gross pay. Another way to reduce your taxable income is to participate in your employer’s flexible spending plan to save money for out-of-pocket health insurance expenses such as co-pays, some medications and certain medical devices.

COBRA benefits

A concern you might have about employer-based health insurance is what happens to your health insurance when you change jobs, are released by your employer or otherwise become unemployed? A government program called the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives you the right to carry your employer-based group health insurance coverage with you for up to 18 months. While COBRA will allow you to remain insured, you will have to pay the entire premium for your group health insurance. Previously both you and your employer contributed to the cost of your health insurance. If you find yourself requiring COBRA benefits make sure to fill out the appropriate forms available from your previous employer’s benefits department within 60 days of leaving the job. Otherwise you could be denied COBRA health insurance coverage.

No employer-based health insurance? No problem!

What if your employer doesn’t offer health insurance? Not a problem, you can always buy an individual health insurance policy. And it’s possible, if you are member of an organization or group that offers group health insurance, to retain the benefit of employer-based health insurance in terms of lower rates and qualification requirements.

Whether your employer offers health insurance or you are just looking for an individual health insurance policy, be sure to take your time and compare health insurance quotes to find a policy that best fits your family’s health insurance needs and saves you money. It pays to shop around for your health insurance policy.

Most people think, cheap health insurance is a thing of the past. Now, it is not. . . If you know where they go. Here’s where to find cheap health insurance in Virginia. Insurance Virginia Whether for individual health insurance or group health insurance are looking for in Virginia, there are four basic types of coverage: * the compensation plans, also known as pay plans service. These companies pay health insurance for the majority of your doctor of your account (80%) after paying a deductible of $ 500 to $ 2,000. With these plans, you have the right to freely choose a hospital or doctor that you want. compensation plans offer the freedom of choice, but most of the paperwork and get the plans more expensive health care. * Maintenance Organizations Health Organization (HMO). These health insurance plans assign you to a medical group of doctors and hospitals, known as a network, you are obliged to use for your medical care. You are also a family physician who is responsible for monitoring your care and referring to network specialists will be assigned. You pay a share for each visit to your doctor (usually $ 5 to $ 10), and the HMO pays your bills. The HMO plans are less flexible in health care, and for this reason they are cheaper. * Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO). These health plans have you a network of doctors and hospitals and also assigned a family physician. When you see doctors or specialists outside your network, you may have to pay a deductible or the difference between what would bring a physician network, and what charges are non-physician network. Co-payments are typically $ 5 to $ 10, and the OPP will pay your medical bills. These plans cost more than HMOs, but they are cheaper than indemnity plans. * Point of Service Plan (POSS). These plans Do you have a network of doctors and hospitals, but you have doctors and specialists from outside the network for use by paying a supplement. They place more emphasis on prevention, such as offering workshops on health issues and discounts to fitness clubs. These plans cost more than HMOs and PPOs, but are less expensive than indemnity plans. Getting cheap health insurance Virginia The only way to cheap health insurance in Virginia to get prices is to compare a number of different companies, and the best way to do is a comparison site for insurance. http://www. LowerRateQuotes. Health Insurance / COM. html and click on the link below to get in Virginia, cites health insurance rates for blue chip companies and see how much you can save. You can get more insurance tips in their Articles section, and get answers to your questions to an expert in insurance by using their online chat service.

Most Americans have health insurance are covered by an employer plan. However, some employers do not offer health insurance. If you work for one of these companies, you must purchase private insurance individual health. There are certain advantages that buying health insurance on the private market. Instead of the plans before choosing an employer, you decide what items you want to plan and choose a plan accordingly. For example, by allowing you to plan with higher deductibles, or which does not cover certain services, you acknowledge, a strong economy premium each month. Rather than tying your reports to sell to a workplace, the coverage is in private health insurance, no matter where you work to keep. Health insurance can be covered as long as you pay your premiums on time. But besides these advantages are some potential drawbacks • plans employers offer more coverage of individual plans, even if you pay the same premium rate. This is because a single policy, a greater percentage of the premium goes to operating costs such as marketing and payment to satisfy the claims. • A general plan, the group must ensure all employees and family members, while individual plans, candidates who can not refuse in perfect health. You can also use plans that exclude coverage of certain pre-existing conditions. • In most states, private health insurance premiums increase with age. Firstly, you can avoid those increases by periodically changing new plans because prices tend to be lower than the extensions. However, as you get older, it becomes harder for you business and individual insurance policies are more expensive. If you need to shop in the market for private health insurance, you must first find an insurance agent responsible. The determination of what type of insurance you need and how much coverage can be purchased complex subjects. A good agent will help you work on your situation with you and coverage tailored to your specific needs to find. The key to a successful collaboration with the agent aninsurance is a question of trust. You should be able to tell your agent’s experience and trust professional opinion, and you should always feel safe that your agent is acting in your best interests. But remember that trust is a one way street: Your agent must also trust that your information is accurate and complete offers. If you compare several plans, you need to know what to look for before making a decision. When choosing a health plan, ask your insurance agent the following questions: • If the plan cover me for the specific doctor or hospital I want to use? • How the referral system? • What are the pre-existing conditions would affect coverage? • How process and maintain the plan, if I (or a family member) am not at home? Everything is like the plan, the monthly premium, deductible and coinsurance, and what am I obligated to pay? • Are there other costs, like co-payments and additional costs if I use the supplier, the off-grid? • Is there a maximum amount the plan pays more than a year or a lifetime? • What types of benefits are specific to this plan? Purchasing an individual health insurance on the private market can be confusing. Approach the purchase as you would compare all the main points of research your options and prices, and obtain the best possible advice and support you can qualifiedinsurance in this case an agent.