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Medicare

Who Are You?

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During the Christmas break, my kids and I have a tradition of piling up on the sofa with a huge bowl of popcorn and watching movies.  My 12-year-old daughter wanted to watch the latest remake of Alice in Wonderland. With Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway in the same movie, I’m thinking it can’t be that bad. So shortly after Alice …

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960,000 NYers Sign For Insurance Under New Health Law

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The Associated Press, June 26, 2014 More than 960,000 New York residents signed up for insurance under the state’s new health plan marketplace during its first enrollment period, according to a state report issued Wednesday. The analysis shows that 55 percent of the individuals enrolled in Medicaid and 38 percent — or 371,000 people — signed up for private insurances …

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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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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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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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Making Lemonade Out of Healthcare Reform

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Headlines related to the Affordable Care Act and the new healthcare and insurance landscape seem to change more often than the weather. But one thing seems certain in its uncertainty: The future of Medicare Advantage plans. A recent online article stated that, “Because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans are paying higher …

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Medicare vs. private insurance: Which costs less

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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 …

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Insurance industry predicts skyrocketing Obamacare premiums next year

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By Rick Moran, March 19, 2014 According to the Hill, many insurance companies are contradicting HHS Secretary Sebelius’s rosy predictions about modest increases in Obamacare premiums next year. Some of the increases will be “significant.” How significant? In some states, the increase may be as much as 300%. The expected rate hikes will be announced in the coming months amid …

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Enrollment event helps people sign up for insurance

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News-Sentinel Staff Reports, February 20, 2014 Neighborhood Health Clinics will offer a free enrollment event for anyone who wants to apply for Marketplace insurance plans, Medicaid and HIP 3-8 p.m. Wednesday at 1717 S. Calhoun St. Registration ends at 7 p.m. Attendees need to bring a photo ID for household members, prior year’s tax return, household Society Security numbers, birth …

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