Since January 1, 2011, all new individual health insurance policies issued in Colorado have included maternity coverage as required by a new state law. The text of the bill was quite clear in stating that its provisions would apply to all “policies issued or renewed on or after the applicable effective date of this act.” (see the top of page 3 of the text). But until now, there was still some confusion around maternity coverage and policy renewals, and inconsistencies in how the law was being applied. […]
health insurance
Using HRA Funds To Purchase Individual Health Insurance
[…] However, it appears that the Colorado Division of Insurance has repealed its 2009 order regarding the use of HRA funds to purchase individual health insurance. Final Agency Order O-11-064 details the questions involved (including issues regarding eligibility for CoverColorado) and concludes that “Self-funded employee benefit plans sponsored by a private company such as an HRA, are employee benefit plans under ERISA and are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Commissioner.” […]
Mandatory Health Insurance Does Not Prevent Medical Bankruptcies
[…] The study’s authors note that implementing mandatory health insurance rules is not likely to result in a significant decline in the number of medical bankruptcies nationwide unless we also focus on improving the level of coverage that people have (to reduce out of pocket exposure), and on expanding access to disability insurance that can help provide income to people who are unable to work because of a major illness or injury. […]
HHS Proposes Waivers To Allow States Flexibility In Healthcare Regulation
[…] Colorado has been taking an active role in reforming healthcare for some time now. And our legislators are obviously still focusing on healthcare reform at a state level, from several different angles. Based on the initiative the state has shown over the last few years, I’m guessing that if the state waivers are available from HHS as of 2014, Colorado will likely take advantage of the opportunity to craft at least some aspects of our own healthcare regulation.
Colorado Bill Would Allow State To Opt Out Of Federal Healthcare Laws
The Healthcare Opportunity and Patient Empowerment (HOPE) Act (HB 1273) was introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives this week, with primary House sponsorship from Reps Nikkel and Stephens (the House majority leader), and primary Senate sponsorship from Senator Kopp. The idea behind HB1273 is to allow Colorado to legally opt out of the PPACA – not just the individual mandate portion, but the entire law. […]
New Study Finds Healthcare Reform Will Benefit Colorado Economy
The New America Foundation (NAF) and the University of Denver’s Center for Colorado’s Economic Future recently published a new study in conjunction with The Colorado Trust and The Colorado Health Foundation. The study was designed to look at the projected economic outcomes for the state of Colorado with and without health care reform. For the reform scenario, the researchers concentrated on the recommendations created by the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission (208 Commission) a few years ago. They compared that data with the projected outcomes if we do nothing and simply maintain the current system with regards to health care. […]
Interesting Data Regarding Pay For Performance Studies
[…] There has been much debate recently about what is the most efficient and cost-effective method of reimbursing doctors and hospitals. While most providers now are paid on a fee-for-service model, there’s concern that such a model tends to encourage over-utilization. ACOs might pose a possible solution, although their designers would be wise to ponder the data regarding pay-for-performance, since much of the success of ACOs could hinge on providers’ ability to “perform” in terms of keeping their patients healthy and avoiding costly hospitalizations.
SB 168 Introduced With Goal Of Creating Colorado Health Care Cooperative
In a continuation of the string of healthcare-related legislation we’ve seen recently, Colorado Senate Bill 168 was introduced earlier this week. SB 168 would create a nonprofit healthcare cooperative to act as the benefits administrator and payer for health care services in Colorado. Similar to several other healthcare bills we’ve seen over the years, this one would implement change in a multi-step process: first by creating a proposed Colorado Health Care Authority, which would design the cooperative and take it to the legislature and then voters for approval. […]
Student Health Insurance And The PPACA
[…] Today, HHS has proposed additional regulations specifically aimed at student health insurance policies, in order to make sure that those plans meet the guidelines created in the PPACA. In essence, it would define student health plans as “individual health insurance coverage” and would eventually obligate student health plans to meet the same requirements as any other individual policy. […]
Repealing The Mandate – Some Simple Math
[…] As I’ve mentioned before, health care costs are what drive health insurance premiums. And until we figure out how to reduce the amount we spend on health care, health insurance premiums will continue to rise. But they will rise even faster if we require health insurance carriers to accept all applicants without imposing some sort of system that eliminates the possibility for people to wait until they are sick to purchase coverage.
When The Media Recommends Over-Consumption Of Healthcare
[…] We seem to be caught up in a wave of screening test excitement lately, with new advanced testing available for every disease under the sun. Rather than focusing on things that can truly prevent health problems (the old, and decidedly low-tech diet and exercise ideas…), we are fixated on developing newer and better screening tests. This exacerbates the problem of over-consumption of health care and rising health care costs.
Smart Medicine
[…] We cannot continue to tackle the health care mess by focusing on health insurance reform. That has been a large part of the focus of debate over the last couple years, mainly because health insurance is the point at which most people interact with the financial aspects of their health care. But health care costs are what drive health insurance premiums, and there’s no getting around that. It’s refreshing to hear the President of the Colorado Medical Society talking about the need for evidence-based medicine and a general scaling back of what we spend on health care. […]
Peace Of Mind With Automated Payment Of Health Insurance Premiums
[…] 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.
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. […]
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. […]
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. […]
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. […]