Tag Archives: Affordable Care Act

USCCB Rejects Clarification on Birth Control Mandate

Not long after the Obama administration issued a clarification on the birth control mandate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced that they don’t like it. This is unsurprising, because the USCCB has been against the birth control mandate since it was first made into law. Their opinion does not cause a change to the law, however. Here we go again! One could describe the battle for birth control coverage as resembling a ping pong match. The Obama administration includes contraception as preventative care and requires insurance plans to cover the cost of it. The United States Conference of … Continue reading →

A few More Words from the ACA Glossary

Have you been paying attention to the Affordable Care Act? If not, then there may be a lot of words and phrases that people use to talk about the ACA that you could be unfamiliar with. Fortunately, there is an Affordable Care Act Glossary. Here are a few more words from the ACA Glossary that you should know. Community Rating: A rule that prevents health insurers from varying premiums within a geographic area based on age, gender, health status, or other factors. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): A Federal law that guarantees up to 12 weeks of job protected … Continue reading →

More from the Affordable Care Act Glossary

The Affordable Care Act is a set of health reform laws that were designed to make it possible for individuals and small businesses to be able to find affordable health insurance. It offers several protections to consumers that did not exist before the law. Here are some terms and jargon to help you understand more about the Affordable Care Act. When you were in school, there was probably a glossary in the back of at least one of your textbooks. Your teacher directed you to take a look at it whenever you didn’t understand a word or phrase that you … Continue reading →

The Affordable Care Act Glossary

By now, you have undoubtedly heard of the Affordable Care Act. When it is discussed, people tend to use jargon and phrases that you might not entirely understand the meaning of. Fortunately, there is an Affordable Care Act Glossary at HealthCare.gov that can help you. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also know as the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare”) was signed by President Obama in 2010. It is a series of health reform laws and regulations that are designed to help consumers find affordable health insurance coverage. There are a whole lot of terms that people use when … Continue reading →

University of California Students Petition to Lift Insurance Caps

Students at the University of California are calling for an end to the caps that are currently part of the student health insurance plans offered by the university. The Affordable Care Act does not require self-funded plans to adhere to the health reform law’s requirements. This could leave students who have a serious medical issue paying for their care out of pocket. In the news this week, there are many articles discussing the problems that students who attend self-funded universities could be facing due to their inadequate student health insurance. This is definitely an issue to look into if you … Continue reading →

Some Student Health Plans are Exempt from ACA Requirements

Does the university your child attends have a fully insured student health plan? Or, is the university self-insured? The answer to that question is important. Some plans that are self-insured are exempt from providing the protections that the Affordable Care Act requires. The Affordable Care Act provides consumers will many protections that did not exist previous to the implementation of the health reform law. It prohibits private health insurance companies from denying coverage for people who have a preexisting condition. It prohibits health insurers from creating plans that come with an annual coverage cap, or a lifetime coverage cap. These … Continue reading →

Clarification on the Birth Control Mandate

The Obama administration has released a clarification on the rules regarding the birth control mandate. It is the portion of the Affordable Care Act that requires health plans to cover contraception. Do you understand what changed and what stayed the same? This blog will give you the facts. The birth control mandate is part of the Affordable Care Act. As of August 1, 2012, all health plans are required to cover women’s preventative health care without charging for a co-pay, coinsurance, or deductible. It includes coverage for all forms of contraception that were approved by the Food and Drug Administration. … Continue reading →

Does it Make Sense to Charge Smokers More?

Health insurance companies tend to charge a higher premium for people who smoke. Employers may impose a higher premium on workers who are smokers than they do for workers who are non-smokers. Does this make sense? This is a question many are asking right now. It is a rather controversial concept. Should people who smoke, or people who are obese, pay more for their health insurance premium than people who are healthier? Is it fair to impose a higher rate on a group of people who are less healthy than the others? Does the penalty really influence people to change … Continue reading →

South Carolina Votes Against State-Based Exchange

Quite some time ago, the Governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, decided that her state would not create its own health insurance exchange. Now, the South Carolina House of Representatives have officially voted against a state-based exchange. People who live in the state will still have access to a federal exchange. In September of 2011, the South Carolina Department of Insurance received a federal Planning Grant of $1 million. The purpose of the money from a Planning Grant was to help a state begin working on a state-based health insurance exchange. The governor established the South Carolina Health Planning Committee … Continue reading →

Arizona Hospitals In Favor of Expanding Medicaid

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer announced that her state would expand its Medicaid program. The details of the plan are still being worked out. Even so, hospital executives are approving of the expansion of the Medicaid program. It would help them with the cost of uncompensated care. In a surprising move, Governor Jan Brewer, of Arizona, has decided that her state will expand its Medicaid program. According to the LA Times, Governor Brewer said that if Arizona didn’t accept the federal funding to expand its Medicaid program that other states would claim that funding. She also said: With this move, we … Continue reading →