By Burgess Everett, 5/18/2014 Senate negotiators toiled for months to revive long-term unemployment benefits in a manner that could draw the support of both centrist Republicans and liberal Democrats. But in a few days, that effort will be all for naught. The jobless aid bill that narrowly passed the Senate in early April would extend the benefits to June 1 …

By Liz Neporent, May 8, 2014 Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can charge smokers and other tobacco users up to 50 percent more than non-smokers for a health insurance policy. But where do e-smokers fit in? E-cigarettes are battery-operated nicotine inhalers that consist of a rechargeable lithium battery, a cartridge called a cartomizer and an LED that lights …

By Henry J. Aaron, May 7, 2014 Open enrollment for 2014 insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ended on March 31. When the White House reported that enrollment had reached the targets, one could almost hear sighs of relief from supporters and gnashing of teeth by opponents. In truth, meeting the enrollment targets made clear only that the …

By Neil Irwin, May 1, 2014 The days of Americans getting health insurance through their employers may be numbered — and the change could be just as profound as the shift of employers forcing employees to manage their own retirement savings. As the Affordable Care Act goes from thousands of pages of legalese to actual, real-life public policy, the future …

First Coast News, April 30, 2014 Walmart is entering the auto insurance business in its latest move to offer affordable financial services to customers, the company announced Wednesday. The world’s largest retailer is partnering with AutoInsurance.com, a price-comparison and shopping website. The website was created after Walmart approached parent company Tranzutary Insurance Solutions with the idea to create an integrated …

The Associated Press, 4/28/2014 HARTFORD, Conn. — A bill that attempts to buffer the effect of rising long-term care insurance policy rate increases is heading to Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s desk. The House of Representatives on Monday voted 142-0 in favor of legislation requiring insurance carriers to spread premium rate increases of 20 percent or more over at least …

By Sandhya Somashekhar, April 25, 2014 The government left the door wide open for millions of Americans to be excused from the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that most people must carry health insurance or pay a fine, but so far relatively few have asked for such a pardon. About 77,000 families and individuals have requested exemptions from the health-care law’s …

By Tami Luhby, April 21, 2014 Wonder why some doctors grumble when a Medicare patient walks in the door? It’s likely because the government program typically pays only 80% of what private insurers do. Medicare has the bad rap of being a big, bloated government program, but it’s not because it’s overpaying doctors. CNNMoney analyzed the “allowed charges” for five …

By Jason Alderman, April 22, 2014 Most people understand why having life insurance is a good idea: Nobody wants to leave their survivors in a financial lurch if they were to die suddenly. But what if you suffer an accident or illness and don’t die, but rather, become severely disabled? Could you or your family make ends meet without your …