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Groups claim insurance discrimination in new forms

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By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, August 17, 2014 WASHINGTON (AP) – Ending insurance discrimination against the sick was a central goal of the nation’s health care overhaul, but leading patient groups say that promise is being undermined by new barriers from insurers. The insurance industry responds that critics are confusing legitimate cost-control with bias. Some state regulators, however, say there’s reason to …

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In U.S., Uninsured Rate Sinks to 13.4% in Second Quarter

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By Jenna Levy, July 10, 2014 WASHINGTON, D.C.–The uninsured rate in the U.S. fell 2.2 percentage points to 13.4% in the second quarter of 2014. This is the lowest quarterly average recorded since Gallup and Healthways began tracking the percentage of uninsured Americans in 2008. The previous low point was 14.4% in the third quarter of 2008. The uninsured rate …

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Finding the 1 in 10 who insure themselves

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The Associated Press, June 19, 2014 The group most directly affected by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s insurance markets — those who buy insurance on their own directly from an insurer or through one of the exchanges — is a difficult group to survey. Those who purchase their own insurance make up just 1 in 10 people under …

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The Healthcare Industry: Thriving on Disconnect Part II

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In Part One, we looked at the overall dysfunction of the healthcare industry and the reasons for it. Here, we’ll continue to follow the money and look at the first two disconnects. Condition of the Existing Healthcare Industry At one time, individuals paid for treatment directly to the provider. Later, health insurance was offered as a means of spreading the …

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Private Health Care Exchanges Enroll More Than Predicted

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By Anne Carrns, June 12, 2014 Employers are moving more quickly than forecasted to offer health insurance to their workers through private exchanges, according to new data from Accenture, a consulting firm. Three million people signed up for workplace health coverage for this year through private exchanges, Accenture said. That’s roughly three times the number of people the firm had …

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The Healthcare Industry: Thriving on Disconnect (Part I)

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Part 1 of 4: The Results of Dysfunction We are up to our necks in charts and graphs prepared by academic experts, government regulators, and industry marketing hype—all addressing or attempting to obscure, based on their various agendas, how the healthcare industry works in relation to the  money in and money out. It is incredibly obvious that dysfunction reigns. Transparency …

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Price vs. Cost: It Can Cost You

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Being a sales trainer in the health insurance field, I’ve seen many agents who jump into the business when they’re not fully prepared to succeed. I’m going beyond obvious sales skills, such as qualifying, assessing needs, handling what most people call objections, closing and follow up. I’m also going beyond product knowledge. For the sake of time, I want to …

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Big insurance rate hikes in the future?

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By Tom Murphy, May 26, 2014 The wild hikes in health insurance rates that blindsided many Americans in recent years may become less frequent because of the health care overhaul. Final rates for 2015 won’t be out for months, but early filings from insurers suggest price increases of 10 percent or more. That may sound like a lot, but rates …

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5 Factors That Could Sway Insurance Prices In 2015

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By Tom Murphy, May 24, 2014 Customers who bought health insurance on the overhaul’s public exchanges can expect a flurry of reports about big price hikes and some decreases for 2015 as insurers finalize their rates over the next few weeks. But they shouldn’t give much weight to any of this. The actual change in a person’s policy will depend …

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Here to Stay—Beyond the Rough Launch of the ACA

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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 …

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