[…] As I said, I have no knowledge of this particular family’s situation. But child-only policies have always been rare, and there is usually another option for those children to obtain coverage. They can be covered as a dependent on a parent’s policy (which can now include policies in the individual market), by Cover Colorado, or possibly by Medicaid or CHP+. Even situations like Thomas Wilkes, who was maxing out the lifetime caps, now has a solution because Healthcare Reform has removed lifetime maximums. There is a long way to go, and this situation is frustrating. But if you ever hear anybody say that they have no options to get their child covered in Colorado, please pass this information along. I hope that Mr. Serrano signs Maria up for some health insurance today, whether it is on a family policy with him, Cover Colorado, or CHP+. We should not be hearing anymore stories about uninsured children simply because their parents aren’t aware of the options available.
colorado
Colorado Division Of Insurance Still Reviewing Rates
We mentioned last week that the Colorado Division of Insurance had not yet approved rates past 9/23 for several carriers, and unfortunately, that is still the situation. For carriers that allow any effective date, quotes can still be generated for 9/22, but carriers that only allow 1st and 15th of the month effective dates are unable to quote new policies now (and have been since 9/15) if their rates have not been approved. This is causing a bit of a traffic jam for people who are searching for a new individual health insurance policy right now. […]
Healthcare.gov A Good Resource For Brokers
I spent some time on the Healthcare.gov website this morning, and found some great resources that could be particularly helpful for people with pre-existing conditions who are unable to obtain coverage in the individual market. The website was set up in conjunction with the PPACA and was designed to help people navigate the myriad of health insurance options available, along with the changes that will happen over the next few years as the provisions of the PPACA go into effect. […]
Quoting Blackout On Most Plans and Effective Dates
Many plans with most carriers still haven’t gotten the rates approved past 9/23. These plans with carriers like Anthem BCBS can still be quoted with effective dates of 9/22 and before.
Carriers like Cigna only have 1st and 15th of the month effective date options. Therefore, rates and plans are not being quoted at all until the DOI approves their rates. Hopefully any moment.
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Health Wonk Review – Politics, Money and Health
Welcome to the Health Wonk Review. Health care costs, politics, and the economics of health care seemed to be the prevailing themes in the submissions this time, and there are some great ideas floating around here. Enjoy! […]
Access To Primary Care Is Only One Piece Of The Puzzle
[…] We need to make sure everyone has health insurance (first step in expanding access). We need to make sure there are enough primary care physicians (and other care providers) to go around. And then we need a systematic, coordinated effort between health care providers, hospitals, and health insurance carriers to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Expanding access to primary care is part of the solution, but it will only work in tandem with the other parts.
Colorado Hospitals Expanding
[…] I understand that each hospital needs to bring in enough money to pay staff, maintain the facilities, and – in the case of for-profit hospitals – make a profit for shareholders. But overall healthcare costs aren’t helped by duplication of facilities and high-tech medical gadgets. There has to be a balance between providing the excellent medical care, keeping things at least somewhat convenient for patients, and keeping medical costs under control. […]
Guaranteed Issue Policies For Children Happened Too Quickly
[…] Regardless of the practicalities involved, there’s no doubt that the headlines about insurers ceasing to issue child-only policies is generating some ill will and bad PR for insurance carriers. Either lawmakers knew that would happen, or else they put very little thought into considering the details of how insurers would go about making children’s coverage guaranteed issue a mere six months after the bill was signed into law, and just added the provision as a feel-good part of the bill.
Money For Health Insurance Premium Increase Reviews
[…] Colorado will get $1 million to use for more extensive review of future rate increases, and the Division of Insurance has proposed hiring more analysts and actuaries to examine the data that is filed each year by the insurance carriers. The rate proposals will get more scrutiny, which is a good protective measure for consumers. But insureds could still see hefty rate increases thanks to the ever-increasing cost of health care. […]
Early Retiree Reinsurance Program Proving Very Popular
Earlier this summer, HHS announced that businesses could begin submitting applications to the newly-created Early Retiree Reinsurance Program in order to receive federal funding to help pay for retirees’ health insurance until they become eligible for Medicare. To date, 2000 businesses have been approved for the program, and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says that this is just the beginning. Businesses have shown great interest in the reinsurance program… […]
Amendment 63 On The Ballot In Colorado
Throughout this year, the Independence Institute has been working to get a measure on the ballot in Colorado to block the health care reform legislation that would require everyone to have health insurance starting in 2014. Yesterday, the Colorado Secretary of State confirmed that the amendment supporters have gathered enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot, so it will be up for a vote in November. […]
Why Medicare For All Might Not Be So Great
[…] most non-elderly Americans still get their health insurance through their employers. And in general, as long as people are somewhat satisfied with the status quo, most of us tend to be a bit resistant to change. Obviously, people who are currently uninsured are likely to support sweeping changes in the health care system. But most Americans do have health insurance, and those who have generous policies – that are at least partially funded by their employers – might find themselves with less coverage if we moved to a single payer plan.
Prescription Veggies
Colorado is the only state in the US with an adult obesity rate below 20%, but we’re just barely below that threshold. And according to the Colorado Health Report Card, our rate of obesity is rising faster than the rate for the whole country. I came across a NY Times article about a program that has been implemented in Mass recently, and I would love to see Colorado do the same thing. Maybe we could see our obesity percentage start to fall instead of continuing it’s upward climb. […]
Not Many Details Yet On Maternity Coverage In Colorado
[…] We still have several months left in 2009 for regulators and insurance companies to work out the details, and I’m sure we’ll know more by the end of the year. When you combine this with the new Colorado law banning gender rating on health insurance policies, and the myriad of reforms coming from the federal government, I’d say that health insurance regulators in Denver are going to have their hands full for a while.
Eligible Does Not Mean Enrolled
[…] With budget cuts all over the county, now is probably not a good time for state agencies to add staff who focus on helping parents enroll their kids in public health insurance programs. But existing community based organizations could be a great resource for parents with uninsured kids. And this might also be an excellent position to fill with volunteers who are willing to work with parents in their own communities. […]
Open Enrollment Period For Children
[…] The Obama Administration had been clear in saying that health insurance companies would have to accept all children under age 19, without regard for pre-existing conditions. But last week that position was clarified with a bit of added leeway for insurers, allowing them to set open enrollment periods during which children can have access to health insurance regardless of pre-existing conditions. […]
Cavalcade Of Risk – Colorado Rocky Mountain High Edition
We’re in the midst of a beautiful Colorado summer, and the words to John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High (one of our official state songs) were running through my head over the weekend. So this week’s Cavalcade is a tribute to all the beauty that Colorado has to offer. I’m including a few photos we’ve taken over the years, so not only will you learn all sorts of new stuff about risk and risk management, but you’ll get a virtual tour of Colorado at the same time […]
Public Opinion Of Health Care Reform Improving
[…] It will be interesting to watch public opinion of health care reform over the next few years. I imagine a lot of it will depend on what happens to premiums. If health insurance carriers can comply with the requirements of the new law without substantial premiums increases, we’ll probably see even more favorable public opinion of the law, especially once government subsidies kick in to help people pay for health insurance.
Information About Medical Cost Sharing Programs
[…] But the reason I have health insurance is to protect our family in the event of a catastrophic illness or injury. If that were to happen, I want to know that I have a real health insurance company paying my bills, and legal recourse in the event of a dispute. I like knowing that my health insurance policy is regulated by Colorado’s Division of Insurance, and I like the fact that it doesn’t say “this is not health insurance” anywhere on my policy information. […]
New High Risk Pool Unveiled Today In Colorado
[…] It’s nice to see Colorado leading the way in terms of using the federal high risk pool money to set up a new program for people with pre-existing conditions. Whether the money will hold out until 2014 remains to be seen, but at least we are now well on our way to having one more option for people in Colorado who can’t qualify for private health insurance.
Some Confusion Around New Colorado High Risk Pool
The new Colorado health insurance program for people with pre-existing conditions is supposed to become available next week, but there seems to still be a lot of confusion about how it’s going to work. Since Colorado already has a policy available for people with pre-existing conditions (Cover Colorado), we are one of the states that is opting to use the federal money to set up another risk pool for applicants who cannot qualify for medically underwritten individual policies […]
Colorado Ranks Highly In Women’s Health
Colorado is the only state in a recent report by HealthGrades to rank in the top ten for all three aspects of women’s care studied (see appendix D on page 15 of the report). Although only three hospitals in Colorado received the HealthGrades 2009/2010 Women’s Health Excellence Award: North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, and Centura Health-Penrose Saint Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs. […]
Colorado Delaying Medicaid Payments
[…] And that means that Medicaid claims submitted over the last couple weeks won’t be paid until July 9th – providers will miss out on payments that were scheduled for last week and later this week. The 2011 fiscal year begins in July, and the state is planning to push Medicaid reimbursements out in order to contain the budget for this year. The money will eventually be paid to the providers, but for book-keeping purposes it will be in a different fiscal year, and it also amounts to an interest-free short term loan from the providers to the state. […]
Colorado Governor Ritter At Odds With Attorney General Suthers
Colorado is an interesting place to be this summer, as the health care reform debate continues to play out – in the courts now, rather than in town halls and legislative sessions. Our Attorney General, Republican John Suthers, is part of the group of AGs from 20 states who are challenging the legality of a federal mandate requiring people to have health insurance. And our Governor, Bill Ritter Jr., is one of four Democratic governors of those states who disagree with the position taken by the Attorneys General. […]
Early Retiree Reinsurance Program Application Available From HHS
[…] There are an estimated 62,700 people in Colorado who retired before they were eligible for Medicare and are receiving retiree health care benefits from their former employers. Their employers can now apply for financial assistance to help cover the cost of health care for their early retirees, and the financial assistance can be passed along to the retirees in the form of lower health care costs.