Affordable Care Act News

Affordable Care Act Could Have ‘Modest’ Effect on Other Insurance Costs

The expansion of health insurance accomplished under the Affordable Care Act may alter costs for several major types of liability insurance, although any such changes are likely to be modest, according to a new RAND Corp. report. Automobile, workers’ compensation …

Private Premiums Under Affordable Care Act 15% Below Forecast, Says CBO

The health law will cost $104 billion less over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office said after premiums for private Obamacare plans came in lower than the agency expected. The premium for a benchmark “silver” level plan, the second-most …

Republicans to Use Burwell HHS Hearings to Question Affordable Care Act

Republican lawmakers said hearings on Sylvia Mathews Burwell’s nomination as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary provide a fresh opening to raise questions about President Barack Obama’s health-care law. Obama’s choice of Burwell, the director of the Office of Management …

Minnesota Governor Lashes Out at GOP Critics of Health Insurance Exchange

Gov. Mark Dayton lashed out at critics of Minnesota’s health insurance exchange, accusing them of waging a propaganda campaign to destroy it. The Democratic governor spoke to reporters a day after GOP members of the Legislature’s MNsure oversight committee said …

Arkansas Regulators Warn Against Misleading Public on ACA Portals

Apparently some insurance providers, producers and others are attempting to place business through portals unlicensed to sell Affordable Care Act qualified plans by leading consumers to believe the plans are qualified, and Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford wants them to …

Millions of Americans Remain Uninsured Despite Big Health Care Push

Alan Thacker wants health coverage, but he can’t get help in his home state of Georgia. Mary Moscarello Gutierrez no longer can afford insurance in New Jersey. Justin Thompson of Utah refuses to be forced into the president’s health law. …

Oklahoma to Allow ACA Non-Compliant Health Insurance Policies

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak announced that health insurers may continue to renew policies not meeting Affordable Care Act requirements through 2016. The announcement came after the federal government released updated health care enrollment figures. As of March 1, nearly …

Illinois Targets 18- to 34-Year-Olds With Humorous Health Insurance Ads

Illinois officials hope that using humor can give the state’s health insurance enrollment numbers the same kind of bump that the federal site saw after President Barack Obama bantered about the law with actor Zach Galifianakis. Obama’s appearance on the …

Mass. to Dump Website Contractor Over Troubled Online Health Exchange

Massachusetts plans on cutting ties with the contractor for its hobbled health care insurance website. The recommendation was made Monday by Sarah Iselin, who was hired by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to oversee a fix for the website problems that …

Many Could Escape Obamacare Individual Mandate Due to Exemptions

Obamacare’s requirement that all Americans carry insurance or face penalties, part of the effort to gain universal coverage, may not be much of a rule at all. Millions of people may be exempt from the requirement known as the individual …