[…] If you sign up for automated payments, there’s nothing to remember. You don’t have to worry about your health insurance lapsing because a bill didn’t arrive, or because you forgot to send in a check. You don’t have to worry about making a typo or accidentally sending an underpayment. And in a lot of cases it’s less expensive to have automated payments set up too – some carriers charge an additional fee if you opt to receive a bill and mail a check for your premium.
Archives for January 2011
Aetna Withdrawing from Colorado Individual Health Insurance Market
Aetna no longer offers health insurance plans for individuals, families and the self employed plans in Colorado. Their explanation: After reviewing our portfolio of Individual health insurance plans in Colorado, we determined we can no longer meet the needs of our customers while remaining competitive in the individual health insurance market. While this decision was not… Read more about Aetna Withdrawing from Colorado Individual Health Insurance Market
Consumer Protections And The PPACA
I doubt that regulators will simply throw out the existing rules and allow ACOs to operate without consumer protections to place to guard against fraud and abuse. Instead, I see them coming up with new regulations that take into account the changing landscape of health care delivery, including ACOs. But either way, the creation of new consumer protections while suspending others does make for an interesting discussion. […]
Is Colorado Representative’s Information Based On Email FWD?
Last week, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the PPACA. One of the Representatives voting for repeal was Scott Tipton, a Republican from Colorado’s 3rd congressional district. Obviously each Representative had to vote according to his or her own conscience and the general consensus from constituents, but one would also hope that prior to voting, each Representative would clearly understand the facts surrounding the various issues within the law. […]
Colorado Senator Introducing Legislation To Study Health Care
Colorado Senator Irene Aguilar, a Democrat from Denver, will be introducing legislation next month to address the fact that there are still 700,000 people in Colorado without health insurance. Although Colorado has made strides recently in areas like the expansion of Medicaid, we didn’t even come close to fulfilling former Governor Bill Ritter’s hopes for health insurance for all Colorado citizens by the end of 2010. […]
Comparing US Healthcare Costs With Other Countries
[…] But is having to wait to see a specialist for a non-emergency situation really that much of a drawback, when we consider that this sort of “rationing” might be what we need to bring our healthcare costs down to a reasonable level (and thus make healthcare more available to more Americans)? Maybe we don’t need MRI machines to be as conveniently-located as ATMs… Our current costs (and the rate at which they are increasing) aren’t really sustainable long-term, and the Healthcare Technology News article is a good reminder of how we stack up against the rest of the world.
Removing HSA Contribution Cap Does Not Solve Any Health Care Problems
[…] People who already max out their HSA contributions and still have money left over to contribute more would likely appreciate the removal of the HSA contribution cap. But those are not the people who are struggling to afford health insurance or pay for medical care. They are not the people our elected representatives should be focusing on when coming up with solutions for health care reform. Although I like our HSA and the flexibility it gives us to save for future medical expenses, I acknowledge that HSAs are not a panacea for what ails our health care system. […]
An Honest Look At End Of Life Care
[…] But Amy’s story is particularly important when we look at end-of-life scenarios, where doctors and hospitals will often take the approach of sustaining life at all costs, simply because it’s what we’re used to. I’m not advocating the rationing of health care in people who are terminally ill; patients should be given choices regardless of their prognosis. But honest discussions about end-of-life care and a genuine focus on quality of life might help to not only make life better for patients facing terminal illnesses, they could also result in lower health care costs.
Colorado House Bill 1025 Would Repeal Health Care Affordability Act
[…] HB 1025, introduced by Colorado Springs Republican Rep Janak Joshi, would repeal the Health Care Affordability Act of 2009 (HB 1293). That Act introduced the Hospital Provider Fee system to generate about $600 million annually in funds for the expansion of Medicaid, the Colorado Indigent Care Program (CICP) and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). Those funds are supplemented with federal matching of an additional $600 million for the expansion of those programs in Colorado. The Health Care Affordability Act was widely supported by hospital and medical groups in the state. […]
Few Carriers Offering Child Only Policies During Open Enrollment
[…] You can still get quotes for child-only plans, but the only options that will appear on quote engines that work with major health insurance carriers are Rocky Mountain Health Plans, and Kaiser Permanente for people in the Denver/Boulder area. We wanted to clarify this point in case there is confusion surrounding the open enrollment period. It’s unknown whether the other major carriers will be able to find a way to make child-only coverage a profitable venture as time goes by, but for now, the options are still quite limited in the child-only market in Colorado, regardless of the open enrollment window.
Colorado Bill Would Allow Employers To Reimburse Employee Premiums
The 2011 Colorado legislative session is now underway, and Senate Bill 19 will be particularly interesting to watch. Since 1994, Colorado has had a law that bans employers from reimbursing employees for individual health insurance premiums. If any portion of the premiums for such plans are paid or reimbursed by the employer, the Colorado Division of Insurance considers the employer to have created a small group health insurance plan, and the plan must adhere to small group regulations (this impacts things like underwriting, and also has tax implications for the employer). […]
ACOs 101
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have received a lot of buzz lately as the nation grapples with ways to reign in health care costs. But I think that there’s still a lot of confusion about how they would work. A couple of very informative posts on the topic were included in this week’s Grand Rounds, and I wanted to share them with our readers. […]
Cavalcade of Risk #122 Is Up
David Williams has done a great job with the latest Cavalcade of Risk. Take a minute to stop by and check it out.
Health Care Costs Are The Driving Factor Behind Premium Hikes
I’ve long supported the idea that our health care system was in need of reform that would make care more affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of their health or financial situation. But I’m starting to feel a bit frustrated by what feels like an over-emphasis on regulation of health insurance carriers and not enough focus on ways to actually control the cost of health care (including over-utilization). If people are thinking of this process as health insurance reform rather than health care reform, it’s doomed to failure. […]
United HealthOne Plans Available in Colorado on January 13th
United Health has notified us that they’re ahead of schedule and will have rates, plan descriptions and applications ready by January 13th. Quotes and applications for United Health medical can be done here. Quotes and applications for dental and vision can be done here.
Debating The Individual Mandate
[…] There is no simple solution to the issue of balancing guaranteed issue health insurance, an individual mandate, and personal liberties. It will be interesting to see what 2011 brings in terms of court battles over the constitutionality of the individual mandate, and whether any other options become viable alternatives.
Is A Symbolic Repeal Vote Worth The Time?
[…] Political analysts generally agree that a repeal vote in the House is likely to pass, but much less likely to clear the Senate. If it did, it would be virtually impossible to override a presidential veto. So the vote next week is basically symbolic – which can also be looked at as a waste of congressional time and resources. A more productive solution might be to start looking for ways to significantly reduce the actual cost of health care. […]
Looking For Ulterior Motives
Health care costs are rising at a dizzying pace. For most Americans, this translates into increasing health insurance premiums, which are driven mostly by the cost of health care. Getting health care costs under control is a necessary step, and one that politicians generally say is important. But what is said and what is done are not always in line with each other. This outstanding article on Emergency Physicians Monthly is a perfect example of health care costs run amok. […]
Reviewing Health Insurance Premium Increases
[…] even with the new MLR guidelines and a significant review from the Division of Insurance to make sure this year’s rate increases are appropriate, our average rate increase is still nearly 13% – significantly higher than the 10% threshold that would trigger a review under the proposed federal regulation. […]
Three Years To Iron Out Details For Health Insurance Exchange
For anyone curious about the logistics that will go into setting up the new health insurance exchanges that will become active in 2014, this Denver Post article is an excellent overview. The article notes that the 2011 legislature will have to pass a bill to set up basic guidelines for the exchange, and a governing structure to oversee the process. There will be monthly committee meetings to hash out the details, and once you start to ponder all of the questions that still remain unanswered, it’s clear why it might take a few years to get the exchange up and running. […]